Slime Immortal.

Chapter 179 Moving Overnight
Shortly after, Türk walked out of the tree hall looking dazed.

Although the Slime King did not fully grant his request, he gave him a precious opportunity.

If he can persuade the tribesmen and lead them safely through the perilous swamp forest to this place, the gates of the Slime Kingdom will be opened to them, and all the lizardmen will be welcomed and officially become members of the kingdom.

Leading one or two people across a swamp is no easy task, let alone guiding an entire tribe, including the elderly and children, on such a long migration.

But isn't this precisely the test the Slime Kingdom is putting them to the test?

"Father, Mother, people of the tribe... wait for me to come back."

The moment Turck made up his mind, a faint green halo seemed to flash around him. He subconsciously stretched out his palm, and the vines on the tree came to life, writhing like snakes.

Although it was just a simple trick, it symbolized Putu's approval; he had become a qualified lizardman shaman.

A faint sense of joy and pride welled up inside Turck, but he quickly suppressed the emotion.

Now is not the time to celebrate; he has a more important mission to accomplish.

He looked to the side and saw Little Ka lying there obediently, wagging its tail, clearly following Chen Yu's orders to send him back to the tribe.

"Thank you for your help, Guardian," Turck said respectfully, then carefully mounted the dragon's back again.

With a powerful flapping of wings, Little Ka carried Turk into the air once more, leaving behind this dreamlike slime fortress.

Turk looked back as the strange territory gradually blurred in the thick fog, his eyes showing a newfound determination.

At the entrance of the tree hall, Chen Yu and Xiao Hua skipped out, watching Turk and Xiao Ka's figures disappear into the horizon.

Little Flower looked up and asked curiously, "Brother, haven't you always wanted more people? Why don't you let those lizardmen join us directly?"

Chen Yu patted Xiao Hua's head with his gel-like hands and explained earnestly, "Xiao Hua, you must remember that things that are easily obtained are often the least cherished."

"Only when they have made their own efforts, overcome numerous hardships and dangers, and finally arrived here will they truly regard this place as a home worth protecting, and become qualified and loyal subjects of the kingdom."

Little Flower shook its body as if it understood but not quite. Its little brain couldn't fully comprehend such profound truths, but it knew that its brother's words always made sense.

All you need to do is memorize it and gradually understand it later.

"Okay, stop spacing out."

Chen Yu hopped around and turned around, “Go tell the little guys at the Slime Academy to start learning the martial arts books I left there. They will be the ones to teach the lizardmen in the future.”

"Oh, right, we also need to select another group of scholars who are talented in alchemy, as we will need to refine more pills in the future."

"Okay, I'll remember."

Little Flower shook the gel up and down carefully to show she understood, then hopped and skipped towards the Slime Academy.

……

On the distant banks of the Reed River, the Moss Tribe remains as busy as ever.

The lizardmen were drying and mending their fishing nets, processing their freshly caught fish, and taking stock of the meat and mushrooms they had hunted and gathered from the edge of the forest.

In preparation for the upcoming northward migration, the tribe needs to stockpile as much food as possible to cope with the most difficult period after the demonic tide.

At the hearth in the center of the camp, the elderly Shazak was slowly drinking a bowl of water. Around him sat Turk's parents and several tribal warriors with worried expressions.

Turk's father, the strong lizardman warrior, finally broke the silence, his voice filled with worry.

"Shaman, Turk has been in the forest for a whole day now, and there's still no news. Is this normal in previous trials?"

Shazak Shaman paused slightly in his hand holding the pottery bowl, looked up at the worried parents in front of him, and sighed inwardly.

To be honest, the duration of the trial is not fixed, but generally speaking, the faster you complete it and return, the greater your chances of survival.

With each passing day, hope grows ever more dwindling.

He and the boy Sergash both completed their trials and returned on the same day they entered the forest, but Turk has been inside for a day and hasn't returned yet, so the situation is indeed not optimistic.

However, there are indeed precedents in the tribe's ancient records of people who entered the swamp for four days, passed the trial, and returned alive.

Therefore, Türk is not entirely without hope.

He carefully chose his words, preparing to speak and reassure the anxious parents and the equally worried clansmen around them.

Just then, shouts of joy and excitement echoed from afar.

"Father! Mother! Shazak Shaman!"

"I am back!"

"I passed the trial!"

It's Türk's voice!
"Türk is back?!"

All the lizardmen in the camp stopped what they were doing and looked toward the swamp forest with surprise.

However, to their surprise, the edge of the forest was deserted, and there was no sign of Turke at all.

Just as everyone was exchanging bewildered glances, wondering if they were hallucinating, a lizardman cub stood on tiptoe, pointed to the sky, and exclaimed in a clear, childlike voice:

"Look up in the sky! Look up in the sky! Brother Turk is flying!"

Upon hearing this, all the lizardmen looked up at the sky and saw Turk riding on the back of a winged creature, waving vigorously at them.

"That's... a dragon?!"

Shazak Shaman's expression changed drastically, and he stood up abruptly. Several tribal warriors also instantly became alert and instinctively grabbed the weapons beside them.

Little Ka, carrying Turk, slowly landed on the open ground outside the camp. It blinked its innocent big eyes, curiously observing the tense lizardmen, and obediently lay still.

They were afraid that any action they took would cause unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts.

Turk quickly dismounted from Xiao Ka's back and ran back to the camp. He loudly explained to the nervous tribesmen, "Don't be nervous, everyone. This is Xiao Ka, the guardian of the Slime Kingdom. It brought me back. It means me no harm."

Seeing that the seemingly ferocious dragon indeed had no intention of attacking, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the surprise and doubt in their eyes did not disappear.

Turck's parents rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

"Child, are you alright? Are you hurt?" The mother cried tears of joy as she checked his body from head to toe.

"I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine, and I even passed the trial successfully," Turk reassured his parents repeatedly.

After they calmed down a bit, Shazak Shaman slowly walked over, leaning on his cane, and the tribespeople automatically made way for him.

The old shaman first gazed intently at the quiet wyvern outside the camp before turning his gaze to Turk and asking, "Child, what exactly is this Slime Kingdom you speak of?"

Turck took a deep breath and faced all the gathered tribesmen, recounting his incredible experience.

“After I entered the swamp yesterday, I followed the shaman’s instructions and headed west into the forest without looking back… I spent the night in the forest, and when I woke up the next day, I met the messenger of the Slime Kingdom and this little guard, who led me to the Slime Kingdom located deep in the swamp.”

"There really is a magnificent fortress there, inhabited by countless slimes, as well as stinging bees, beetles... many different monsters living together harmoniously."

"I met their king, a great and benevolent slime king, who warmly received me before sending me back with Little Ka's guards."

After hearing this bizarre tale, all the lizardmen exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with confusion. The Slime Kingdom?
A fortress deep in the swamp?
Various monsters coexist peacefully?

This sounds too much like something made up by those idle bards who do nothing all day.

If it weren't for the fact that there was a real, living dragon standing there as evidence, they would have thought the child had accidentally eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms in the forest and was experiencing hallucinations.

Seeing the expressions on his people's faces, Turck became excited and waved his arms, trying to make his words more persuasive.

"It's true, every word I said is true!"

"It's like the dreamland that Putu promised, where there is no hunger, no cold, all efforts are rewarded, the weak are sheltered, and Putu's followers are respected!"

He described in detail what he saw and heard in the Slime Kingdom—neat farmland, busy yet orderly Slime residents, peculiar treehouse architecture, and the wise Slime King.

Finally, he shared his thoughts.

“Shazak Shaman, let’s join the Slime Kingdom and accept the protection of that benevolent king. This is the best choice for our Moss Tribe and our hope to escape our generations of suffering.”

"As long as we are determined and united, we can cross this swamp and reach that fantastic land flowing with milk and honey."

The group looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and doubt.

Could there really be a paradise-like slime kingdom in this cruel swamp where they have lived for generations?

It sounds too good to be true.

Moreover, leading the entire tribe through the perilous heart of the swamp was extremely risky, and the slightest mistake could result in a devastating price.

Quiet murmurs rose from the camp, a mixture of doubt and worry.

Just as the argument was starting to rise, the Shazak shaman, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then looked at Turke with his weathered eyes.

"What Türk said... might not be false."

The crowd immediately fell silent, looking at the old shaman in surprise.

Shazak continued, "Before Sergash left, she also vaguely mentioned that she had received help from friendly beings in the swamp. And those adventurers who have recently been frantically trying to venture into the swamp, their targets are likely also related to the Slime Kingdom."

"You...you believe me?" Turk was both surprised and delighted. He thought he would need to explain more to convince everyone, but he didn't expect that the Shazak shaman would be inclined to believe him.

Shazak slowly walked up to Turck, stretched out his withered hand, and gently felt the natural aura that had not yet completely dissipated from his body.

“Child, the natural aura emanating from you cannot be faked; it is far more powerful than any words.”

"I'm more inclined to believe that you've truly arrived at a miraculous place blessed by nature."

"However, whether or not to migrate is a matter of life and death for every member of the tribe. For everyone's sake, we cannot make a decision lightly."

“Ak, Quinn.”

He looked at the two most experienced warriors in the tribe, "Get ready and come with me and Turk. We must see for ourselves what's going on deep in the swamp."

“Yes, Shazak Shaman!” Two strong lizardman warriors immediately stepped forward and accepted the order without hesitation.

“Shaman, your health…” a tribesman worriedly reminded him. The Shazak shaman was too old, and the environment deep in the swamp was harsh, making a long journey extremely dangerous for him.

"It's out of the way."

Shazak waved his hand, his gaze falling on Turke with trust, "With our newly appointed shaman Turke here, and with Ptu's guidance, we will be able to make the round trip smoothly."

Turk said earnestly, "I will definitely protect the Shaman."

Seeing that the old shaman and Turk insisted, the tribespeople, though still worried, could only reluctantly agree.

The four of them prepared some dry food and weapons, and then, taking advantage of the best midday sun, they once again stepped into the dark swamp forest.

This time, guided by Turck, who was familiar with the route, the two warriors, Ak and Quinn, cautiously led the way, their sharp bone spears always aimed at any potential dangers.

The Shazak shaman was carefully carried on Turk's back.

However, as they ventured deeper, the two experienced soldiers gradually noticed something amiss.

This swamp, which used to be teeming with all sorts of dangerous monsters, was unusually quiet at this moment. The number of common monsters had decreased significantly, and even the annoying poisonous insects seemed to have disappeared.

They could still clearly make out the footprints that Türk had left when he walked alone yesterday.

The Shazak shaman, perched on Turk's back, silently observed everything, lost in thought.

Following the trail left by Turk, they easily dealt with a few scattered low-level monsters and successfully reached the depths of the swamp.

"It's right in front!"

Turck stopped and pointed ahead in a direction obscured by dense vines and bushes.

“The fortress will be visible once we cross this forest; my sense of direction is usually right.”

Upon hearing this, the warrior Quinn took a deep breath and swung his stone axe with his strong arms, forcefully hacking away at the thorns and bushes blocking his path.

When the last tangled vine was torn away, sunlight suddenly poured down, and the sight before them made all the lizardmen hold their breath.

Under the sunlight, a majestic and magnificent fortress stands like a miracle on the land deep in the swamp.

The sturdy city walls extend to both sides, disappearing into the shade of the trees, so magnificent that they seem to stretch on forever.

"Ancestral spirits above..."

"What Türk said was actually true?!"

Ak and Quinn exclaimed in surprise, and even the composed Shazak shaman showed a look of astonishment on his aged face.

They cautiously emerged from the forest and approached the fortress.

On the city wall, one could see silver metal slime guards patrolling regularly, emitting a slight metallic hum, and some slimes whose names they didn't know were hopping around on the wall.

They didn't even need to enter the fortress; the sight before them was enough to convince them.

The slime guards on the city wall clearly recognized Turck, and after a careful identity verification, the heavy city gate slowly rose with the sound of machinery.

As the four entered the fortress, the sight before them left the two lizardman warriors speechless with shock.

Slimes of all colors live and work busily and harmoniously in the fields, workshops, and peculiar domed treehouses... everything seems so vibrant yet orderly.

The Slime Kingdom is real!
Turk intended to lead his people to pay respects to the Slime King immediately, but learned from a scholar slime who seemed to be in charge—

His Majesty the King has temporarily left the Eastern Swamp Fortress due to his busy schedule to inspect another territory within the kingdom, and it is unknown when he will return.

"Another fortress? Just how big is the Slime Kingdom?" Ak and Quinn looked at each other, swallowing hard.

The last trace of doubt in Shazak's eyes vanished completely. He suddenly leaned on his cane and said in a deep voice, "Turk, let's go back immediately to prepare for the tribe's migration."

Turck was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Should we continue preparing for the northward migration?"

"No, we must immediately gather all our people and migrate to join the Slime Kingdom."

(End of this chapter)