After a century of worship, I became the ancestor of the tribe.

Chapter 309 The Second Mysterious Bird Divine Statue!
Shen Can naturally knew about what happened in Yongyi, but he didn't expect Xiang Liu to actually deliver food to his door.

After all, with the strength of a fifth-tier beast king, escaping would be easy.

The fact that he was still beaten to death shows that the timing, location, and popular support were all on the side of the human race, and Xiang Liu was truly facing his death.

At this moment, Shen Can was about to reach the far eastern part of the Juyue Mountains.

The Juyue Mountains stretch across the land from east to west, with undulating peaks and a primitive, wild atmosphere permeating the landscape.

Standing atop a colossal mountain eight thousand feet high, Shen Can looked down into the distance.

This is the highest mountain in the easternmost part of the Juyue Mountain Range. Further east, although there are many undulating mountains, none exceed eight thousand zhang.

At the end of the eastern mountain range lies a vast wilderness, seemingly stretching to the very edge of heaven and earth.

Red Fire Lu Wu subconsciously raised its hind leg, and on the outside of one of its hind legs, under the scales and fur, there was a scar about a foot in size.

Shen Can naturally noticed Lu Wu's actions.

"Back then, I had just advanced to the fifth rank and was very ambitious. The first thing I did after leaving the Giant Mountain Range was head east."

Here, they encountered a group of incredibly tall races, their bodies shimmering with golden light, and were almost captured by them.

Even after more than a thousand years, Lu Wu still finds it hard to forget this incident when he revisits the place now.

For many years, it has subconsciously avoided going to the far east of the mountains.

Chi Huo Lu Wu was able to come because he was invited by Shen Can. After all, it would be safer for two fifth-tier beings to travel together in an unfamiliar place.

After looking around, Shen Can began to lead Kui Ling to search along the mountains.

"no feeling."

"No."

"No signal."

……

"No."

Shen Can explored every nook and cranny of the mountains, navigating the flying boat back and forth, slowing down to allow the Kui Spirit to sense his presence.

The Kui drum was placed at the bow of the boat, and the Kui spirit sat on it, its body glowing with mysterious light, occasionally chanting incantations.

After circling around for a long time, Kui Ling still couldn't sense anything. Shen Can wondered if he had gone too far, since the area to the east was large, but it was mostly low mountains.

As a seventh-tier holy spirit, the Black Bird should have chosen a magnificent place as its clan's territory.

Of course, it is also possible that it is in a separate little world, but no matter how hard the Kui Spirit searched, it could not sense it at all.

Shen Can didn't urge him. He steered the flying boat back. Although he had been sensing things on the way here, he hadn't explored many places.

One year has passed in the blink of an eye.

"No, I can't sense my mother at all!"

Kui Ling was a little dejected, her little mouth pouting.

In one year, Shen Can transformed millions of square kilometers of mountains, essentially covering the entire eastern foothills of the Juyue Mountain Range.

Not finding anything didn't discourage me.

If they discover it as soon as they arrive, then the Black Bird is nothing to worry about.

It's normal for the injured Xuan Bird to hide; even the seventh-tier great creatures are short of food.

For the current Blazing Flame, the Giant Mountain Range is far too vast, but for a seventh-tier being, it is merely a small, insignificant place.

Encountering an injured seventh-tier creature is like celebrating the New Year.

The black bird hid from the other seven ranks from beginning to end.

"Go east."

Unable to find anything east of the Juyue Mountains, Shen Can piloted his flying boat eastward, intending to try his luck.

On the flying boat, Lu Wu was fast asleep. It couldn't help with what Shen Can was doing; it just needed to wait to be called upon when needed.

Heading east past Juyue, the mountains descend in a downward trend until they enter a vast wilderness, which is the land of the ancient kingdom of Dapu.

In the ancient kingdom of Dapu, the Pu people are the rulers.

The Pu tribe is a race with stone-like bodies, their bodies shimmering with different colors such as gray-white and brown, making them very similar to stones.

Here, all other races are vassals of the Pu tribe.

Shen Can entered the Great Pu Ancient Kingdom because he thought that if the Black Bird was very powerful back then, the Great Pu Ancient Kingdom and the Giant Mountain were so close that it was impossible for it not to have left some traces.

Perhaps the Black Bird really did run away and hide somewhere else after being severely injured.

Since we're already here, let's look around.

……

Among the low hills, where vegetation grew in abundance, dozens of figures were scattered in the woods, heading towards the outside of the mountains.

Some of them carried wounded members of their tribe on their backs, while others were scattered around as scouts.

Zhong Shao was wearing a tattered suit of armor, and the witch knife in his hand had several nicks.

"Hurry up, it's getting dark, we must get out of the forest to be safe."

Upon hearing Zhong Shao's call, the group quickened their pace.

The forest was overgrown with shrubs and lurked with insects and ants, which restricted the group's ability to travel quickly.

A deep, guttural roar came from afar, making the group even more tense.

Fortunately, they escaped unharmed. As darkness fell, the group finally broke out of the forest and entered a relatively flat plain.

Zhong Shao took out a bronze xun from his bosom and began to play it, the loud sound spreading in all directions.

Woohoo!

Before long, the sound of a bronze ocarina could be heard from afar.

Upon hearing the same noise, Zhong Shao immediately led his men toward the source of the sound.

"Brother Zhong Shao, you're finally back!"

They had traveled less than half a mile when Zhong Shao and his men were met by a martial artist who was there to meet them.

"Ah Yue, why are you here to pick us up?"

"Has the others returned?"

Are there many injured?

Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhong Shao asked three questions in one breath.

"Everyone else has returned, but many of them were injured. I was the only one who could pick you up. I've been hiding here for five days."

Zhong Yue answered Zhong Shao's question in quick succession.

"Brother, have you found any trace of the auspicious beast?"

"Finding auspicious beasts is not that easy."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yue's face showed disappointment, and then her brows furrowed.

"Without the auspicious beast, our Yunmu tribe will have 30,000 men conscripted. What are we going to do!"

Everyone listened to Zhong Yue's mutterings, and their faces all showed seriousness.

The Yunmu tribe has a total population of only 110,000. With 30,000 people being taken away, how will they survive?

In the latter half of the night, the group finally arrived at the makeshift underground camp.

There were already more than 400 people in the camp. In one of the underground caves, dozens of lifeless tribesmen lay side by side.

Of all the people in the group, fewer than fifty appeared to be without any visible injuries.

"Ah Shao, how's it going? Have you found anything?"

An old man stood up and led Zhong Shao and his group into the cave.

Seeing Zhong Shao shake his head, the old man sighed and immediately urged everyone to quickly enter the cave.

"Come quickly and bandage everyone's wounds."

The campfire crackled and popped, and apart from the sounds of people busily bandaging wounds, everyone else remained silent inside the cave.

"Chieftain, how about I take the uninjured people into the mountains again?"

After stirring the campfire, Zhong Shao seemed to have made a decision.

"There is still time. If we can find the auspicious beast, we can exempt our Yunmu tribe from military service."

"Yes, chieftain, let's try going into the mountains again!"

“Once these 30,000 men are taken away, who knows how many years they will be gone, or even how many will return? The Pu tribe is simply using us as sacrificial animals!” “Without these 30,000 able-bodied men, how will our Yunmu tribe survive? Those long-armed tribes have always been eyeing us covetously.”

"Chieftain, let's go into the mountains again. Maybe this time we can find the auspicious beast!"

"Can you tell me what we need to do with the auspicious beast?"

"who!"

The sudden sound startled the Yunmu tribe members inside the cave, and they all gripped their weapons tightly.

The injured man also got up from the ground, looking wary.

"They're outside!"

Chief Yunmu reacted immediately.

The underground camp was specially built by their tribe for easy access to the mountains, and it was carved out in this solid underground rock.

Huge rocks blocked the entrance, protecting it from attacks by wild beasts.

Zhong Shao grabbed his witch weapon and walked to the cave entrance first. After opening the entrance, he saw a figure standing in the night, with a small round drum hanging at his waist and a tiger-shaped wild beast beside him.

It doesn't seem to have any powerful aura at all.

But Zhong Shao dared not relax in the slightest; he sensed that he had encountered a powerful opponent.

Fortunately, they were from the same clan.

Of course, even though they were of the same clan, the Yunmu tribe members inside the cave did not let their guard down.

"Our department has already rested. If you are hungry, senior, we have some meat to offer you to satisfy your hunger."

Although Shen Can looks very young and doesn't exude any special aura, Zhong Shao still addresses him as a senior.

hum!
Suddenly, Zhong Shao felt a bright light before his eyes, and a stream of air rushed past his side and into the cave.

He hurriedly raised his weapon, ready to slash at Shen Can.

But he found himself completely immobilized by an overwhelming force.

The stream of light that flew into the cave exploded on the spot, turning into a rich medicinal rain that fell down and covered everyone.

Before the people inside the cave could react, they felt the medicinal rain descend. The injured felt their pain lessen, and the uninjured felt their weariness disappear.

"Chief Yunmu greets the senior."

Not long after, Chief Yunmu strode out of the cave and bowed to Shen Can.

Chief Yunmu is a martial artist at the eighth level of the Heavenly Meridian Realm, a level that wouldn't even rank among the top in the Blazing Flame Clan.

However, Shen Can did not use his strength to oppress the weaker human race.

Whether they are ordinary humans or fourth-tier humans, they are all the same to him.

At this moment, Zhong Shao also realized that if Shen Can were to make a move, they would have no chance to resist.

Sensing the medicinal aura permeating the cave, Zhong Shao bowed deeply to Shen Can.

"Senior, please."

Inside the cave, Zhong Yue roasted a piece of animal meat over a fire, carefully washed her bone knife with water from the bamboo tube she had brought, cut the meat into small pieces, and presented it to Shen Can.

"Senior, you are wise. This is the rule of the Pu Clan. If one possesses an auspicious beast, one can be exempted from military service or offered sacrifices."

"Not long ago, an envoy from the Pu tribe descended upon my Yunmu tribe and issued a decree, demanding that my tribe either offer a third-tier auspicious beast or conscript 30,000 able-bodied men to fight for the Pu tribe."

"I led my people into the mountains in search of the auspicious beast."

Chief Yunmu explained to Shen Can the reason for searching for the auspicious beast.

Shen Can picked up a piece of roasted beast meat and stuffed it into his mouth, listening as Chief Yunmu continued to recount the story of the Pu tribe.

Compared to when Lu Wu came, the situation in the Great Pu Kingdom has undergone tremendous changes.

Among the Pu tribes that fought among themselves in the past, the Jin Yang clan emerged as an extremely powerful group. They have now forcefully occupied four of the six domains of the Great Pu Ancient Kingdom and are about to recreate the glory of the Great Pu Ancient Kingdom in its heyday.

All races living in this area must obey the orders of the Pu tribe, draw members from their own tribe to serve as Pu tribe servants, and offer them food and fodder.

Any act of disobedience will result in the extermination of the entire clan.

This area near the Juyue Mountains belongs to the Dayue Domain, one of the Six Domains of Dapu.

It was originally the territory of the Yue Shan clan of the Pu tribe, but the Yue Shan clan was destroyed by the Jin Yang clan more than a thousand years ago.

In addition to accompanying the expedition and providing provisions, they also had to offer human sacrifices.

In short, any disobedience will lead to the extermination of the entire clan.

The human race living in the ancient kingdom of Dapu is in a situation where they are constantly being bled dry, but if they resist, they will be killed.

"The Pu tribe conscripts men once every hundred years. The last time was more than sixty years ago. I don't know why this time it's been brought forward, and they're going to conscript 30,000 men all at once. My tribe only has 110,000 men."

A century ago, ten thousand men were conscripted from my unit. After decades of fighting, fewer than five hundred returned, mostly old, weak, and wounded.

Chief Yunmu was also somewhat helpless; otherwise, he wouldn't have mobilized most of his clan's strength to enter the Giant Mountain Range in search of the auspicious beast.

If you have an auspicious beast, you can be assured of a hundred years of peace.

Shen Can remembered that when he talked to Lu Wu about the Holy Envoy Clan, they mentioned that the Holy Envoy Clan had entered the Giant Mountain Range in search of auspicious beasts.

In addition, the memories of the Holy Envoy Clan also came to light, including their practice of capturing auspicious beasts to sacrifice to the Holy Spirit.

I wonder if this is related to the Pu Clan's capture of auspicious beasts.

……

On the vast plains, as far as the eye can see, there is an endless cluster of buildings, with towers and pavilions standing in a continuous line.

Outside the complex of buildings stood several large camps. In the largest of these camps, armor gleamed like waves in the sunlight, exuding a fierce aura as a martial arts drill was underway.

Among the many other large camps, there was one belonging to the human race. The camp was empty, with only less than 30,000 people training.

Compared to the largest camp, where armored soldiers were as numerous as the sea and horses as numerous as the forest, the human camp's armor and equipment were far inferior.

Similarly, the remaining camps were not at full capacity either.

In addition to the human camp, there were also camps belonging to other races such as the long-armed race and the orcs.

Every major race in this region has a large camp here.

Among the buildings, a towering palace, thousands of feet high, stands majestically, its entire body gleaming with gold, surrounded by halls of all sizes.

Behind the main hall is a lush mountain range, where golden light flashes and shamanic script appears faintly.

Looking into the distance, a dazzling golden light shimmered deep within the mountains, emanating an incomparably powerful aura, with a stone statue faintly visible.

After learning about the situation from the Yunmu tribe, Shen Can rushed here.

This area was originally the territory of the Yue Shan clan. After being destroyed by the Jin Yang clan, the Jin Yang clan occupied this territory.

On a dark and windy night, the man and the beast infiltrated the Pu tribe and successfully reached the deepest part of their territory.

An ancient atmosphere permeates the mountains, and a straight sacred path leads deep into the mountains.

"Stop!"

Just as Lu Wu was about to continue, Shen Can stopped him.

"Follow me."

Shen Can carefully avoided the traces of the formation and headed deeper into the area.

The array placed here is very well hidden and complicated; this is the first time he has encountered such a powerful array outside.

Stone statues are embedded in the rock walls on both sides of the sacred path.

These stone statues are the remains of dead Pu Clan warriors. Similar to the human burial practice, these dead Pu Clan members are embedded in the rock walls.

At the end of the sacred path is the ruins of an ancestral temple, which should be the ancestral temple of the Yueshan clan that was destroyed.

After just one glance, Shen Can turned around and headed towards the valley on one side of the ancestral temple.

The valley spans a hundred miles, with a black bird statue standing in the middle.

The grayish-white statue was a hundred feet tall, its surface covered with cracks, but its eyes were like two green seas, filled with countless shamanic characters.

The air around the statue reeked of blood, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of bone fragments.

None of these bone fragments were the size of a palm; they had all been shattered into tiny pieces.

Shen Can didn't even need to deliberately identify them; as much as 70% of these bone fragments belonged to the human race, while the other 30% came from other races.

The inscriptions in the black bird's eyes were incredibly profound, and the aura it exuded was the same as that of the black bird statue of the Holy Envoy Clan.

P.S.: There will be another update tonight, around 11:30 PM.

(End of this chapter)