TPWBI Chapter 61

“Where did you find it?!”

Yang Yi jumped up from his chair, unable to maintain the calm he had before.

“Just in a pit about six or seven days’ journey from here. It’s extremely hidden. An ordinary person would probably find it very difficult to locate.”

Ye Huo recalled what happened that day and felt it was the arrangement of the heavens.

They had been attacked by the Thorn Dragon. To prevent anyone in the tribe from getting hurt, he had lured the Thorn Dragon away alone.

While running, unfamiliar with the terrain, he accidentally tripped over a branch and tumbled down the hillside, landing on these black stones.

At first glance, seeing the black stones, he had thought they were weapons from the Blackstone Tribe. But upon closer inspection, he realized that wasn’t the case. He felt deeply disappointed.

At that time, his leg was sprained, and the Thorn Dragon was still above him. Unable to climb back up, he stayed there.

To avoid being attacked by wild beasts in the middle of the night, he started a fire on these black stones. Later, he discovered that these stones could actually burn!

He found it astonishing. When he left, he took some with him.

These black stones are extremely easy to ignite, burn far better than firewood, and don’t even need to be dried.

Yang Yi was overjoyed. This was one of the resources he had most wanted to find!

Their current development required a massive amount of fuel. Although there was plenty of firewood around, firewood alone was far from enough.

To smelt iron and make iron tools, they still needed large quantities of coal.

There were also other needs, such as firing porcelain, making paper, and daily life, all of which required a lot of coal.

Even in future mechanical manufacturing and so on, this precious resource would be used in countless ways.

“Are there many of these black stones?”

“There should be quite a few. But they’re covered by thick soil, so they’re not easy to find. I dug in a few random spots and saw them.”

Seeing Yang Yi so interested, Ye Huo also felt a sense of relief.

It seemed that his discovery had captured the attention of the divine envoy before him, meaning their tribe hadn’t joined empty-handed.

Even though everyone said the Spark Tribe treated everyone equally, Ye Huo still had his own concerns. He wanted to show something that proved they were worthy of acceptance.

“Ye Huo, you’ve done a great service!”

Yang Yi did not hold back his praise. He truly was the favorite of the gods of transmigration. If he wanted to sleep, someone would hand him a pillow.

Since the discovery of iron, the shortage of fuel has become the number one priority.

They had to send large numbers of people to gather firewood. The trees here were often very thick. Without being properly dried, lighting them was not easy.

Moreover, they produced thick smoke, which was unpleasant and also interfered with production.

When firing pottery, they first had to burn the firewood into charcoal, and then use the charcoal to fire the pottery. This extra step added a tremendous amount of work.

As the tribe developed, supplies became increasingly tight, forcing places that relied on fuel to slow down their progress.

“I’m honored.”

“Tomorrow, you can go to logistics and collect the weapons that belong to you. You are a level three warrior, and you’ve brought such a huge surprise to the tribe. You deserve the best weapons and equipment,” Hei Lie said.

Ye Huo widened his eyes, barely able to believe his ears.

He knew his discovery would bring him luck, but he had not expected it to be such a massive surprise.

Unaware of just how much his discovery had helped the tribe, Ye Huo felt that everything was simply incredible.

The weapons of the Spark Tribe were truly awe-inspiring and commanding of respect.

They were sturdier and sharper than Blackstone weapons, even surpassing the bronze weapons carried by the caravans across the Western Continent. Having such weapons was every warrior’s greatest desire.

Whether Blackstone weapons or bronze weapons, they were things Ye Huo and the entire Banshan Tribe could only hope for from afar.

Every warrior fantasized about owning a weapon from the Blackstone Tribe. That alone would have been the luckiest thing. But he had gone straight to acquiring iron weapons!

And not just one weapon, but an entire set, and the very best at that!

Previously, Ye Huo had been unable to resist asking about iron weapons. Qing Tian had told him that the tribe’s iron weapons were currently divided into different grades.

Weapons of different grades varied in toughness, sharpness, and other qualities, largely depending on the techniques and methods used to forge them.

The tougher and sharper the iron weapon, the more complex the process required to make it, and the harder it was to obtain.

Their current technology still carried a risk of failure, so owning a top-grade weapon was extremely difficult.

Moreover, due to the scarcity of iron, armor protection also varied.

At first, the weapons distributed to everyone were the same. If a warrior distinguished themselves in battle, they could exchange their ordinary weapon for a better one.

This was an immense honor. Not just because of the iron itself, but because of the meaning it carried.

“Can I really?” Ye Huo still couldn’t be sure.

Yang Yi smiled: “You absolutely deserve it.”

Ye Huo felt dazed, then couldn’t help but grin foolishly.

The thought that tomorrow he would possess top-grade weapons made him feel like he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight!

For a warrior, there was nothing more intoxicating than this.

“Divine Envoy, Chief, I am truly so happy. You are both such merciful people!”

Yang Yi shook his head: “This is the rule of the tribe. Rules must be followed. Whoever becomes chief in the future, it will always be the same.”

For Ye Huo, a former chief himself, there was no clearer meaning to those words.

“Divine Envoy, Chief, please allow me, after passing the training and assessment, to lead a team out of the tribe.”

Hei Lie raised an eyebrow: “What do you intend to do?”

“Our Banshan Tribe is very far from here. Along the way, to avoid risks, we’ve been taking detours and have seen many people from other tribes.

Many of these tribes are kind but extremely poor. If they knew there was a place like this tribe, they would surely want to come here!”

Ye Huo’s eyes burned with determination. Although they had faced many difficulties on the journey and had nearly been wiped out by a ruthless tribe, they had also met many friendly people.

Those people, like them, were not strong enough, struggling to survive, yet they treated outsiders with great kindness.

Some tribes had been in contact with them before. Those tribes, too, were still troubled by the struggle for survival.

“They would be willing to abandon their old territories and come here?”

Hei Lie frowned slightly. Many tribes would ally themselves with stronger tribes, but very few would leave their original homes and travel so far.

After all, they were unfamiliar with the outside world. Being not strong enough meant venturing out was extremely dangerous.

Not every tribe had the courage of the Banshan Tribe. Most preferred to struggle in place.

Moreover, if they weren’t backed into a corner, no one would risk attaching themselves to a stronger tribe.

Opportunities often came with immense risks. Not everyone was willing to risk their lives to test them.

“The place where the Banshan Tribe is located is actually somewhat similar to here—facing a vast wasteland.

However, it is far more barren than this place. The Banshan Tribe manages okay, but in other areas, it is very difficult to find food. This is also one reason we couldn’t defend it. Tribes had set their sights on that land.”

Ye Huo sighed deeply, his words heavy with sorrow.

If it weren’t absolutely necessary, who would willingly leave the place they had lived for so many years?

Every migration costs lives along the way, and the new place was unfamiliar, posing immense challenges for survival.

“This year’s rainy season, I don’t know why, hasn’t brought any rain. In fact, since last year, rainfall has already been scarce.

The elders of the tribe all say that in these past few rainy seasons, each brought less rain than the last, leaving the land extremely dry. Many rivers have dried up, animals have fled, and fruit trees cannot grow.”

“This year’s rainfall is even lower. Experienced shamans believe this situation is unlikely to improve and may continue to worsen. So many tribes are already considering migrating. I think if they knew about this place, they would definitely want to come here.”

Qing Tian was stunned: “It’s already that serious?”

No matter what, this was the place where she had grown up. Her current talent was weather. It made her most aware of the consequences such conditions could bring.

“Yes. The Banshan Tribe manages okay, but if you go north, the situation is terrible.”

Hei Lie and Yang Yi’s expressions also grew serious.

Whether here or on Earth, the power of nature was impossible to resist.

Even if it brought them a large workforce, it was not something to celebrate. They would worry that such misfortune might one day strike the Spark Tribe.

“This is very heavy news,” Yang Yi sighed. That was why they had to increase production, ensuring the warehouses held enough provisions to withstand potential risks.

From ancient times until now, natural disasters have always caused immense trouble, even claiming countless lives.

“I will allow you, after passing the assessment, to select the people you trust to go with you,” Hei Lie said.

This statement not only represented trust but also granted Ye Huo significant authority, placing him in a leadership position.

“Divine Envoy, Chief! I will definitely bring back a large group of people!”

Ye Huo paused, then asked, “How many people can I bring back?”

The tribe was prosperous, but still in the early stages of development. Resources were relatively sufficient for the current population, but suddenly bringing back a large group would change the situation entirely.

The more people there were, the harder it would be to secure enough food through hunting.

Hei Lie waved his hand: “Bring back as many as you can. Whatever number that may be!”

“That could be an enormous number of people, possibly even more than the current population of the Spark Tribe. Many tribes are extremely poor. By the time they arrive here, they might not even have any animal skins left.”

In times of poverty, animal skins were even used as food. Those who came here would have eaten all their skins, leaving them draped only in leaves or bark.

Yang Yi spoke with complete certainty: “As long as they are willing to follow our rules and come here, we can take in as many as want to join!”

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