We made you the chief, and now you've become the world's chief?

Chapter 87 The Mystical Tree Tribe

Following behind the people of the Sacred Tree Tribe, we proceeded along the boundary between the swamp and the forest.

When he came to a small path that had been worn down by countless footsteps, Xia Minghao realized that he had gone in a big circle.

If we could get a boat, or even just build a pontoon bridge across the swamp, and walk in a straight line through it, we could save at least half the time. We wouldn't have ended up walking from early morning until noon.

The road ahead then leads through the forest.

Not long after leaving the swamp and entering the forest, a very peculiar smell wafted into our noses.

It was that strange smell again, a mix of pungent and fragrant, and the further we went, the stronger the smell became.

At first, Xia Minghao was a little uncomfortable, as were the others who followed him.

But after smelling it for a while, the stench actually lessened and turned into a pleasant fragrance.

"The Shrimp Tribe is long and poor, but our Divine Tree Tribe is just ahead."

The people from the Divine Tree tribe who were walking in front suddenly turned around and said.

Xia Minghao secretly signaled to the people behind him to be on alert.

We finally arrived at the location of the tree tribe and saw a dozen or so other figures of similar size.

There are no caves or houses here, but there are dozens of large pits.

Just as he was wondering what these big pits were for, Xia Minghao suddenly discovered that there were actually people in some of them.

There were seven or eight figures in total, all lying prone in the pit.

"They are communicating with the sacred tree, which can make their tribe powerful."

Their tribe?
Hearing this, Xia Minghao looked at the group of people again.

No wonder their physiques are so different from those of the people of the Divine Tree Tribe; they are both of very standard primitive physiques.

Moreover, their clothing was very different; some were wrapped in banana leaves, while others were covered in tree bark.

It must be more than just one tribe.

Through the Divine Tree Tribe, you can discover other tribes. If you can establish communication with them, that would be a great achievement.

Although there is no shortage of manpower now, it also means that new territories have been discovered, and perhaps new resources can be obtained.

"When the Xia tribe exchanges things with the Divine Tree tribe, they can only receive gifts from the Divine Tree tribe."

"But if the Xia tribe offers things to the sacred tree, the sacred tree will grant the Xia tribe its power."

Hearing what the people from the Divine Tree Tribe said, Xia Minghao frowned, but instead of responding, he asked directly.

"Where is the sacred tree you speak of?"

Seeing Xia Minghao's obvious disbelief, the people of the Divine Tree Tribe were not angry. Instead, they led Xia Minghao to another part of the Divine Tree Tribe's settlement.

As he walked through the bushes, a strange tree, thick but not very tall, appeared before Xia Minghao's eyes, and his eyes widened instantly.

The strange tree's roots, exposed above the soil, were tangled and intertwined, and each of its complex branches at the base had a huge fleshy growth on it.

No, it should be described as flower buds that look like tumors.

At that moment, another enormous member of the Divine Tree tribe was tearing apart a fleshy tumor.

The other person was walking around the so-called sacred tree, seemingly checking if there was anything inside the flower buds.

Finally, the flower bud was pried open, and something that looked like an otter fell out.

As the otter fell out, a large amount of mucus flowed out, along with a strong, foul odor that was exactly the same as the mucus that Xia Minghao had smeared on grass yesterday.

"This is what the divine tree has given us!"

Suddenly, the person leading the way shouted something, startling everyone who was stunned by what they saw, and they immediately raised their weapons.

Why is flesh growing inside this tree? Is it really food bestowed by the divine tree?!
The Xia tribe members all showed a hint of surprise and contemplation.

Upon seeing this, the people of the Divine Tree Tribe all revealed a hint of triumph on their faces.

They actually knew where the prey inside the flower bud came from, but others would only think it was flesh growing from the flower bud, a "fruit" bestowed by the divine tree.

"Xia tribe, this is a gift from the divine tree!"

Give me a hammer...

Others might not understand it, but Xia Minghao certainly did.

Upon arriving at the Divine Tree Tribe, the smell itself had already given Xia Minghao some clues.

Now the conclusion has been reached.

Clearly, this strange tree, which evolved in some unknown way, is an epic-level enhanced version of the "Venus Flytrap." But instead of flies, it catches flesh and blood.

It attracts wild beasts, and then the liquid traps them through some kind of action, eventually being gradually digested and promoting its own growth.

But this strange tree never expected that among the animals it attracted would be a unique species like the upright ape.

The prey that had been so hard to obtain was snatched away by the upright ape.

This group even devised a primitive form of "faith fraud," using the strange tree to lure nearby tribes, who were also attracted by its smell, into providing "offerings" to the sacred tree.

Those who cannot be deceived, such as the Da tribe, can only resort to exchanging goods.

After understanding the situation, Xia Minghao felt relieved.

They weren't some kind of totem tribe; they were just a group of people from a primitive tribe who, under these special material conditions, had come to understand what "playing tricks" meant.

But the question is, where is my malachite?

Where did the malachite that the people from the Sacred Tree tribe took out come from?

It can't be that the malachite grew legs, was lured by this strange tree, ran into the tumor, and was then dug out by the people of the Divine Tree Tribe.

Ignoring the so-called "divine tree" and the nonsense uttered by the divine tree tribe, Xia Minghao frowned and asked directly.

Where can I find that kind of stone?

But when asked this question, the people of the Divine Tree Tribe, who had opened their mouths to speak, were instantly rendered speechless.

“Stone, this one.”

Thinking that the group of people hadn't understood, Xia Minghao directly took out the malachite.

At this moment, four or five people from the Divine Tree tribe looked at each other, whispered to each other for a while, and then walked together to the back of the strange tree.

When they reappeared, everyone was carrying a bunch of things.

"Eat this, and you can talk to the sacred tree."

When the group got closer, Xia Minghao finally saw what it was.

It looks like some kind of mushroom...

The mushroom has a rough surface with patches of venomous spots that look like rashes.

Good heavens, if you eat this, you're sure to see villains.

Forget about talking to the divine tree, at that time everything in the world will be able to talk.

Even the stomachs of these people from the Divine Tree tribe could give me a few words of explanation.

Upon seeing that someone had actually accepted it, Xia Minghao quickly shouted.

"Don't eat it, you can't eat this."

The Xia tribe members, who were already astonished by what they had just seen and even somewhat bewitched, finally came to their senses.

Xia Minghao also noticed the abnormality among his own people.

The skills these people honed by relying on the sacred tree to perform supernatural feats were of no use to them.

However, it was incredibly lethal to the equally ignorant primitive people.

The people in their own tribe actually believed it?

If this group is allowed to continue, they will inevitably pose a threat to our side.

This threat may not be significant, but it will always exist as long as the ignorance of primitive people is not truly eradicated.

What will be the consequences of this deliberate spreading of rumors and misinformation?
Xia Minghao dared not gamble, nor could he gamble!
"Chief, eat this, they say you can hear the sacred tree speaking."

A voice suddenly came from the Xia tribe, but no one knew who spoke it.

These words made Xia Minghao frown again, but they made the people from the Divine Tree Tribe beam with joy.

They could also see that the Xia tribe had already believed, just like the other tribes that had been attracted by the sacred tree.

Now, if we just let the chief of the Xia tribe eat this mushroom and see the sacred tree speak, then the people of the Xia tribe will become like those people in the pit.

Just as I was thinking about something good, I suddenly felt a chill on my neck...

The smile remained on his face as he raised his hand to touch his neck, only to feel a gush of thick, sticky blood.

Everyone froze instantly, before they could even scream, Xia Minghao's order had already been given.

"kill!"

(End of this chapter)