As the grand festival of the Spark Tribe drew near, groups of people arrived from all directions, each with their own purpose.
“Chief, is that the Black Forest ahead? It doesn’t look as terrifying as the legends say.”
Huo Niao looked at the lush, verdant Black Forest ahead. It is calm, beautiful, and full of mystery, but it didn’t evoke much horror. Compared to an ordinary forest, it wasn’t much different.
Though it gave off a slightly eerie feeling, it hardly seemed like a place capable of killing a large group of powerful warriors.
Chief Banshan’s expression was serious. “That’s precisely why it’s more dangerous. You never know when you might lose your life, without even a chance to resist.”
“Everyone from the Fang Tribe died there. I wonder if that’s true… Could it be that the Spark Tribe is actually the Fang Tribe?”
Such things had happened before. One tribe would absorb another without informing outsiders.
Traveling without others knowing often led to being devoured or killed due to a lack of preparation.
Chief Banshan paused for a moment, then spoke with certainty. “No, the chief of the Spark Tribe is Hei Lie. That powerful man would never align himself with the Fang Tribe.”
“Hei Lie betrayed his own tribe and even secretly took a large amount of resources from the Blackstone Tribe. A person like that can’t be trusted either, right?”
A warrior nearby snorted coldly. “The chief of the Blackstone Tribe is a ruthless leader. Their tribe has ample food and even sells their own people as ‘meat’. I don’t trust what a person like that says. I believe Hei Lie, who dares to rebel, is more trustworthy.”
Huo Niao remained silent. The Blackstone Tribe had now become a strong and fearsome tribe.
They loved killing and plundering and often invaded other tribes.
“Did the Fang Tribe really get wiped out by the Spark Tribe? Even the people of the Blackstone Tribe don’t dare to provoke the Fang Tribe lightly. Although there was a former top warrior of the Blackstone Tribe, he only took a small group of people with him. Their strength isn’t that overwhelming.”
Huo Niao was deeply worried that this might be a plot, a trap. How could a new tribe defeat such a powerful and ferocious tribe, and even produce black pottery better than that of the Western Continent trading caravans? It was almost unbelievable.
If this hadn’t been told by the Green Python Tribe, they would never have believed it. They would have been certain it was a conspiracy.
Even the Green Python Tribe, though strong, did not bully the weak. Or rather, they preferred to live in their own world, unwilling to meddle in outside affairs. They would not tolerate any offense from others.
But that didn’t mean they could be fully trusted; no one knew whether venomous fangs were hidden behind the scenes.
“No matter the reason, our Banshan Tribe has nothing left to lose.”
Someone spoke, their tone full of desolation.
Huo Niao wanted to object, but didn’t know what to say.
The Banshan Tribe had never been a particularly strong tribe. Every winter, some people would starve to death, though most managed to survive.
Sometimes they went hungry, but at other times they had enough to eat.
Their territory had been chosen well. It is easy to defend, but hard to attack. So life was usually fairly stable.
Not long ago, with the arrival of the Fang Tribe, the entire tribe had been shattered. If some people hadn’t gone out to hunt and gather, the Banshan Tribe would no longer exist.
Their food, their people, and all their possessions had been plundered; even the shaman had been killed, leaving only the small number of survivors they were now.
The original tribe could no longer stay. Their strength had been greatly diminished. It was easy for nearby tribes to take notice of them.
So Chief Banshan could only lead a group of people away, seeking a new place to settle.
When they heard that the Fang Tribe had been annihilated by the Spark Tribe, a tribe whose name they had never even heard of, and that many of the people captured by the Fang Tribe had been taken away, their hearts stirred.
Could any of their own people still be alive? And how were they living now?
Even though they knew the hope was extremely slim, they couldn’t help but think about it.
Especially as their own tribe had been forced to migrate, this longing grew even stronger.
The Banshan Tribe was a very united tribe. Though their strength was not great, it was not easy to defeat them.
As long as there was even a possibility that their people were still alive, they wanted to go see for themselves.
And when they learned that the Spark Tribe was holding a festival, that longing turned directly into action.
“Since we’ve come, we fear nothing. As long as even one person survives, this journey will not be in vain!”
Chief Banshan did not want everyone to remain so despondent, so he spoke to lift their morale.
“Yes! And we’ll finally see this miraculous tribe for ourselves, to see if it really is as the rumors say—able to annihilate the Fang Tribe. No matter what they are like, anyone who can kill the Fang Tribe’s warriors is a true warrior!”
Huo Niao shouted, and the others also voiced their agreement.
“Speaking of which, the Fang Tribe originally wanted to destroy the Spark Tribe. But in the end, they all died. Every time I think of that, I wake from dreams laughing.”
“I don’t know how many of our tribesmen are still left. I hope they are blessed by the gods, and I hope Hei Lie is a merciful man.”
“We’ll look for some food and anything that seems novel along the way. They’re a new tribe, so they must be lacking in everything. Then we can trade for our own people.”
Hearing this, Huo Niao immediately felt a bit dispirited.
Putting aside whether anyone in their tribe could even survive, they themselves were starving. What could they possibly use for an exchange?
Going to the Spark Tribe had another very important purpose: to trade for salt. Previously, all their salt had been plundered.
Now they didn’t even have enough to trade for salt, let alone anything else.
Chief Banshan looked into the distance, his voice deep. “You don’t need to worry about that. As long as our people are still alive, I’ll find a way to bring them back!”
—
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Western Continent trading caravan was also heading toward the Black Forest.
“Hm, I can hardly wait to get those black pottery pieces. I can already foresee the shock they’ll bring.”
Qiao, one of the main members of the caravan, spoke as he savored the delicious grape wine, letting his imagination run free.
He wore clothing that was extremely soft and light by Western Continent standards, looking vibrant and radiant—hardly like someone who had been traveling a long, dusty journey.
En, on the other hand, did not reveal his ambitions like Qiao did, and seemed less than pleased.
“These barbarians can even make pottery like this? It rightfully belongs to us of the Western Continent, to our noble city lord,” Qiao said, laughing as he grasped the meaning behind En’s words.
“You truly are a greedy man. You always want so much.”
“Such exquisite items. Those barbarians don’t know how to appreciate them at all. I’m merely correcting a mistake made by the gods,” En said dismissively.
Qiao warned, “The chief of the Spark Tribe, Hei Lie, isn’t someone to mess with. Ruer dealt with him before, and gained nothing.”
En fell silent. Back when Hei Lie was still in the Blackstone Tribe, he had indeed made it very difficult for caravans from the Western Continent to get what they wanted from the greedy Blackstone chief.
This formidable man was extremely intelligent and bold.
Even back then, when he wasn’t yet chief, he had already caused them serious trouble.
Only after Hei Lie left did they manage to acquire more excellent slaves and other resources.
Now that this man had become chief, holding absolute authority, the situation was entirely different.
Obtaining the method to make black pottery would likely not be easy.
“They’re still just a weak tribe. They got lucky to make black pottery. Barbarians are barbarians. They don’t have much insight. The items we bring will drive them crazy.”
Even if they couldn’t plunder, they could still trade cheap goods with them, earning huge profits.
This also saved them the trouble of finding someone to produce the pottery. Back on the Western Continent, given their resources, they probably couldn’t even protect the methods. They would just suffer greater losses.
This area was remote and extremely dangerous; not every caravan dared to come here.
Qiao pictured those barbarians treating items they considered worthless as treasures, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“I can hardly wait to see them trade a whole pile of black pottery for the things we brought.”
A corner of En’s mouth curved into a smile. “But Hei Lie is cleverer than ordinary barbarians. We still need to mind our attitude. After all, the truth is always hard for people to accept.”
Though he said this, he still couldn’t hide his inner arrogance.
Even while traveling, they moved neither hastily nor slowly, for they had absolute confidence that their goods could be exchanged for a large amount of what they wanted.
All the groups heading toward the Spark Tribe, no matter what their true intentions were, would use this opportunity to trade.
Although most trades took place after the harvest season, exchanges could still happen at other times.
Many came specifically for the Green Python Tribe’s red salt. But they were also very curious about the Spark Tribe, wanting to see what this new tribe that defeated the Fang Tribe was really like.
Future interactions would still require caution. This new tribe had absorbed so many survivors from the Fang Tribe, but they certainly didn’t have enough food to supply everyone, which meant they would have to sell slaves.
Most tribes did not act like the Blackstone Tribe, which only cared about keeping warriors and looked down on ordinary people.
Typically, ordinary people formed the main body of the tribe and played a crucial role in its survival.
Especially slaves. The number of warriors was very small and expensive, making them less cost-effective than ordinary people.
Except in powerful and wealthy tribes, most tribes seeking to buy slaves would focus on ordinary people.
The Banshan Tribe was the first to enter Spark Tribe territory. Just as they stepped in, a volley of arrows shot toward them.
“Everyone, be careful!” Chief Banshan spread his arms to shield everyone behind him, immediately entering a battle-ready stance.
“Step one foot further and you’re on Spark Tribe territory. Who are you? What are you doing here?”
A voice rang out from the forest. It was clearly coming from far away, yet it was very loud, and the sound was somewhat strange—slightly different from a normal human voice.
Following the sound, they saw no one, yet they were certain the voice came from that direction.
Huo Niao muttered softly, “Where is that person hiding? Why is there only a single wooden box?”
Chief Banshan finally relaxed slightly and replied loudly:
“We are from the Banshan Tribe. I am Ye Huo, chief of the Banshan Tribe. We wish to attend the Spark Tribe’s festival. We heard from the Green Python Tribe that this festival welcomes people from other tribes, so we came.”
“Banshan Tribe?” the voice paused. “Do you know someone called Qing Tian?”
Ye Huo’s eyes immediately lit up. Unconsciously, he stepped forward, and an arrow shot rapidly in front of him as a warning.
“Yes! She is my younger sister. She… she’s still alive?!”
Ye Huo was overwhelmed with emotion, completely losing his previous composure, his whole body trembling slightly.
The others of the Banshan Tribe were equally unable to stay calm. If not for the row of arrows threatening them, they would have rushed forward uncontrollably.
Their people were still alive!
“Can you describe her roughly? What does she look like—height, build, and so on?”
“She’s a very beautiful girl, with a red mole under the corner of her eye, very shy…”
Before Ye Huo could finish, someone suddenly leapt out from the ground.
“After verification, you truly are from the Banshan Tribe. Welcome to the Spark Tribe.”
Normally, the people of the Banshan Tribe would have been captivated by the scene, but now their minds were only on the fate of their own people.
“I’m sorry. Apart from Qing Tian, none of your tribe are here,” said the Spark Tribe member with regret.
The Banshan Tribe members were extremely disappointed, though they had expected this.
Their tribe had been far away from here. From the start, they had been easy prey for the Fang Tribe.
Qing Tian’s survival was probably largely due to her exceptional appearance.
This realization was hard for everyone to accept. Though she was alive, she must have endured tremendous suffering.
Especially since she had been captured alongside her twin brother, to whom she was extremely close. That brother hadn’t survived, and she must have been devastated.
“Qing Tian… is… is she alright?”
Ye Huo’s voice began to stammer. All along, he hadn’t dared hope that his siblings were still alive.
With their remarkable looks and lack of ability to protect themselves, they would have been among the first to be harmed.
“She’s fine. She’s now by the side of our shaman and is highly regarded,” the Spark Tribe member reassured him. “Follow me, and you’ll see her soon.”
Though he spoke these words, no one held high hopes.
Life was always harder for a beautiful woman, especially as a captive. No one knew what treatment she might have endured.
The caution and exclusiveness of the Spark Tribe likely meant they were strict even with their slaves.
They followed the Spark Tribe member through the jungle toward the plains, and the sight before them left them completely stunned.
“Th-this… what is this?!”
The people of the Banshan Tribe, who had been weighed down by heavy hearts, were all stunned, momentarily forgetting the grief of losing their kin.
The first thing that caught their eyes was a wide, long river. Upon closer inspection, it was unusual, with obvious signs of having been deliberately dug.
The river stretched endlessly, as far as the eye could see.
Across the river stood tall towers, built along its banks. On each tower, hundreds of people could stand side by side. A similar tower appeared at regular intervals along the river, continuing in the same pattern.
The towers were made of earth, but their centers were constructed with tall wooden planks.
The people standing on the towers wore animal skins, with a metallic piece hanging on their chests and metal helmets on their heads. In their hands, they held sharp, solid metal knives!
The sight was imposing, striking fear into the hearts of anyone who looked.
Powerful, formidable. That impression was imprinted directly onto the soul.
On the opposite bank of the river lay an indescribable landscape: plants stretching endlessly, planted in neat rows, heavy with fruit. Though many of the fruits were unfamiliar, they looked incredibly enticing.
Not only were the plants orderly, but they also densely covered the entire land. One could imagine how prosperous this tribe must be.
This was truly a place blessed by the gods. Otherwise, how could there be so many fruit-bearing plants, growing in vast, orderly plots without weeds or thorns?
To harvest anything, one need only go to the appropriate plot. It was all provided, with no effort to search.
Apart from the gods, nothing else could make this possible.
“You’ve found such a place. You’re truly lucky. The gods favor you.”
The Spark Tribe member laughed. “The gods do watch over us, but all of this is planted by us.”
“Planted?”
Ye Huo thought for a moment, still finding it incredible. “I’ve never seen anything grown look like this!”
“What’s that far away? It’s so tall, and it seems to be glowing red.”
Huo Niao’s eyesight was excellent. He could see farther than the others. That object was so tall that it could be seen from here.
The Spark Tribe member straightened his chest proudly, his eyes filled with reverence. “That is our temple! When you get closer, you’ll see how magnificent it is.”
“How do we get across?” someone couldn’t help asking.
Before them lay a deep, wide river. With the naked eye, its far side couldn’t be seen.
Near the Banshan Tribe, there were only shallow streams, so most people couldn’t swim.
The Spark Tribe member smiled, pulled a necklace with a wooden pendant from around his neck, placed the pendant in his mouth, and blew hard. A sharp, high-pitched sound rang out.
A person atop one of the towers raised a red flag and waved it. Slowly, the wooden planks at the center of the tower were lowered, landing on the opposite riverbank, connecting the two sides.
“Please,” said the Spark Tribe member politely, gesturing in invitation.
The Banshan Tribe members were stunned, momentarily frozen.
They couldn’t believe something like this was even possible!
This was simply too miraculous!
The Spark Tribe member just smiled, proud but without mocking them, walking ahead as a guide.
The people of the Banshan Tribe finally reacted and followed him across the river.
The entire journey was extremely stable and safe; the thick wooden planks were solid and secure.
“This is ironwood,” Huo Niao murmured.
It wasn’t surprising to recognize ironwood, but what was astonishing was how the Spark Tribe people had managed to cut such hard wood and turn it into flat planks!
The surfaces were polished to a smooth finish, with a coating that looked like oil.
Ironwood was extremely difficult to chop. A tree as thick as an arm would break two or three axes just to fell it.
How had they managed this?
Thinking of the warriors equipped with metal weapons, they seemed to understand something.
Could this really be the new tribe built by Hei Lie after leaving the Blackstone Tribe?!
Everything was beyond imagination. These people were far stronger than the Blackstone Tribe now!
If the Blackstone Tribe had known Hei Lie had such abilities, they would never have let him go.
With doubt in their hearts, they officially stepped into the Spark Tribe’s territory. All along the way, no words could describe their feeling, only awe.
Endless fruits stretched as far as the eye could see, along with strange objects, like some unknown metal contraption that would spray water when pressed. Everything was so new and wondrous.
Even though it wasn’t yet harvest season, everyone could already see a bounty more dazzling than any harvest.
So many fruits, so many edible things, did the Spark Tribe even know what hunger was?
“Heavens, how are there so many animals here?!”
Someone couldn’t help shouting.
Everyone looked around, mouths agape, overwhelmed, with no other reaction.
Goose King led a large flock of poultry, including ostriches that had grown enormous, running across the territory in a dense mass. Even the scattered feathers could fill a mountain.
How many animals must there be?
How long would this food last?
There was no need to hunt. They only had to walk in and grab. And these animals didn’t look fierce; they should be easy to catch.
Some people even felt an urge to act but restrained themselves, holding back their inner desire, or they might have rushed straight in.
“How do you have so many animals?” Ye Huo couldn’t help asking.
The Spark Tribe member smiled. “We raise them ourselves. They’re still young now, in their juvenile stage. Once they grow, even without hunting, we’ll have enough food.”
“……”
The Banshan Tribe members were left speechless, some even forgetting why they had come here in the first place.
The sheer awe before them left them completely stunned.
Who am I? Where am I?
They thought this was already everything, that nothing could shock them anymore—then they saw the clustered buildings.
Row upon row, neatly arranged and very orderly. Upon closer inspection, each building had its own unique characteristics.
Of course, the people of the Banshan Tribe, who had always lived in caves, didn’t understand what they were seeing. All they could tell was that these were unusual, yet perfectly organized.
“What’s that?”
“These are our residences. Only part of them have been built so far, so for now, two people share one room.”
The Spark Tribe member shook his head and sighed in a manner that seemed both disdainful and subtly boastful.
“……”
The Banshan Tribe didn’t fully understand the words, but they could roughly grasp the meaning.
These were their “caves” or “tents” meant for living. Two people shared a dwelling, and yet they were still not satisfied!
Even without entering, it was obvious these houses were far more comfortable than caves.
Between the houses were exposed platforms where all kinds of flowers were planted, looking extremely beautiful.
Some houses even had climbing plants like ivy. Upon closer inspection, fruit was hanging from them—clearly edible!
“Have I come to the place where the gods live?”
Huo Niao felt dazed, as if he hadn’t fully woken from sleep.
He pinched himself hard and, seeing that the scene before him didn’t change, realized this was reality.
He also noticed that the path they were walking on was unlike any other.
It was solid and firm, so they didn’t need to worry about stepping on sharp stones or objects and hurting their feet. Saplings and beautiful flowers were planted along the roadside.
The path stretched out endlessly. Walking on it, it felt as if the flowers were surrounding them.
Treading the floral path, they walked toward the land of the gods.
“This… this must be the most shocking place, right?”
All the Banshan Tribe members thought weakly, yet when they arrived before the towering temple, no words could describe the feelings in their hearts.
Some even knelt directly to the ground, forgetting everything around them, remembering only one thing—
In their lifetime, they had witnessed a divine miracle!
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