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

Inside the treasure ship, several dark figures lay on their sides, their limbs thick and strong, their tails covered with fine scales, and their pupils dark gold. But the figure in the most prominent position was much smaller than the dark figures, its entire body still dark gold, and slender like a snake.

The one who just spoke was this golden figure.

"Clan leader, we've already captured so many people, one more won't make a difference."

"A mere ant-like creature, even if it survived being hit by that arrow, it was only a matter of time before it died. Why bother searching for it so painstakingly?" A black-scaled figure spoke, its enormous mouth opening and closing, constantly stuffing things into its mouth.

However, the dark golden figure merely glanced coldly at Black Scale, and Black Scale obediently shut his mouth.

"Elder Blackscale, you seem to be living too comfortably these days. What if that human isn't dead?"

Elder Black Duck, standing to the side, spoke coldly, "Our snake lizard clan is a small clan, and we can't afford to be tormented."

Humans have powerful backers in the Ruins City, so we must do this quietly. We can't make a big fuss and let the news get out, or it might reach the ears of the dragons.

Even if the dragons don't care about these things, it still poses a risk to us.

"Yes, I was being nosy. I'll go find it myself."

Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat dull, Hei Lin got up and walked outside.

"Even if all that's left is a pile of bones, I'll bring it back."

As Black Scale walked out, the coldness remained in the serpent lizard clan chief's dark golden pupils.

Elder Black Duck, who had spoken earlier, muttered, "We should keep this one by our side from now on. Letting him lead the clansmen on tasks is risky; he could easily be killed by negligence."

Among so many sixth-tier races in the City of Ruins, the fact that the human race can occupy a corner of the city on its own, just like the holy race, is a testament to the human race's ability, even if they sold Dragon Valley to the dragon race.

Given this, it's possible that the dragon race might help the human race.

The Dragon Prince doesn't even need to take action; just sending a few sixth-tier dragons would be enough to bring annihilation to their snake-lizard race.

The lizard tribe is no longer what it once was; its power is now weak, and it has only recently recovered to its current state.

To be honest, the lizard clan and the dragon clan are somewhat related, with a trace of dragon blood flowing through their veins.

However, the dragons do not recognize their snake-lizard race.

Of course, the lizard race does not dare to claim that they have dragon blood.

They cannot afford the consequences of doing this.

Since the dragon clan, being a distant relative, is unreliable, the only option is to rely on closer relatives.

There are many types of snakes in the Great Wilderness, and many of their bloodlines can be traced back to an even more ancient era before the mountains and seas.

The snake-lizard clan is preparing to get closer to the dragon clan's relatives—the golden snake clan is such a race. Their ancestors were the Golden Demon Spirit Python, one of the bloodlines left by the Nine Nether Devouring Python.

Why can't we say that the ancestors of the Golden Serpent Clan were the Nine Netherworld Devouring Pythons?

This is an ancient rule in the Great Wilderness: only the direct, pure-blooded descendants of these powerful ancient bloodlines can revere their progenitors. The Golden Demon Python did not inherit the complete bloodline of the Nine Nether Devouring Python, therefore it is not a descendant of the main lineage of the Devouring Python.

Therefore, all the descendants of the Golden Demon Python regard him as their ancestor and are not allowed to claim to be descendants of the Nine Netherworld Devouring Python.

The Golden Serpent Clan is now a seventh-tier clan, possessing no fewer than three seventh-tier beings within its ranks.

However, one of them was nearing his passing.

This gave the lizard tribe an excellent opportunity to get close to the golden snake tribe.

For any powerful being nearing death, unexpected events may occur at the time of their passing.

After all, these old guys are just too powerful.

We live through many years, yet often feel we haven't lived enough.

However, lifespan cannot be increased indefinitely. When life reaches its final stage, people will sometimes do anything to live a few more days.

Most importantly, this struggle will accompany them until their death, becoming their final obsession.

The obsessions of beings who choose to die in meditation can be good or bad. Good obsessions don't necessarily lead to a happy ending, while bad obsessions...

Especially those who have struggled with lifespan, unless they find peace at the moment of their death, generally possess the worst obsessions for their race. Some of these obsessions may even be unbearable for the race.

It is said that the obsession of a seventh-order being after its death is already terrifying.

Not to mention eighth- or ninth-order beings, once they pass away, if they still have lingering attachments to life, they are far less desirable to other beings than if they were still alive.

Why do so many ancient and powerful races wish their ancestor a long and healthy life? It's because they are extremely sincere. They also fear that their ancestor might suddenly pass away, leaving behind their life's obsessions.

Legend has it that in the Southern Wilderness, there was an eighth-tier ancestor of a race who lived for a very long time, but ultimately could not withstand the test of time.

His idea was that he hoped his descendants would treat him as if he were still alive.

At the moment of his passing, this thought transformed into his obsession.

At this point, calling it an obsession is no longer quite right; it should be described as a transformation into a resentment of being unwilling to die.

So he took his race with him, and in doing so, he unleashed a great calamity, nearly creating a ghost realm in the Southern Region. This rumor of "unexpected" events occurring after death is a secret in the Great Wilderness, known to not all races.

Their snake-lizard tribe had a glorious past, and although they have declined to a fraction of their former glory, some written records and traditions have been preserved.

Of the three seventh-tier members of the Golden Serpent Clan, two are still at their peak, so they aren't afraid of the deceased ancestor's obsession causing trouble. However, it's best to avoid trouble if possible, as it would certainly be problematic if it did occur.

Moreover, as long as there is an obsession, there is a residual consciousness. If it can be guided and channeled in the right way, it can become an ancestral spirit, a part of the heritage of the clan, and continue to protect the clan.

When a living being dies, it's like a lamp going out; the main consciousness withers away. To awaken the remaining consciousness, additional spirituality is needed.

The sacrificial rites of the various tribes in the Great Wilderness originated from this.

The Golden Serpent Clan had long ago begun preparations for the sacrificial ceremony for their ancestor who was about to pass away.

As for whether or not they will capture the auspicious beast, I dare not say such things lightly.

After all, in the Great Wilderness today, although the practice of capturing auspicious beasts for sacrifice still exists, people are usually very careful to avoid attracting additional disasters.

But other offerings will certainly be prepared in great quantities.

Among the many offerings, humans are a must.

After all, in the Great Wilderness, when it comes to spiritual offerings, auspicious beasts come first, and humans second.

The establishment of the Ruins City has attracted many sixth-tier forces to come and exchange goods.

It was under these circumstances that the lizard tribe came to the Ruins City to try their luck and seek opportunities.

Unexpectedly, there is more than one kind of opportunity. After exchanging some spiritual items, they saw humans in the City of Ruins. The humans here have a strong bloodline, far exceeding the humans of the same level they had encountered before. They also did not show any signs of bestiality, such as scales or hair.

The only pity is that the humans here are not to be trifled with, and seem to have the dragons as their support.

But fortune favors the bold, and after careful consideration, the serpent lizard chieftain made up his mind to take the deal.

Other races capture humans but have nowhere to deal with them, and selling them in more distant places doesn't bring much profit. However, they can offer them to the young master of the Golden Serpent Clan.

If they can get close to the Golden Serpent Clan, the Serpent Lizard Clan will have a powerful backer.

If the young master of the Golden Serpent Clan whom they've managed to curry favor with manages to advance to the seventh rank, then the Serpent Lizard Clan will have successfully climbed a high branch.

"The fact that there's no news from Black Kirin means that the injured humans haven't returned to the Ruins City yet."

The lizard clan chief looked at the elders before him. "This person was hit by my arrow; he can't have gone far. Keep searching. I refuse to believe he can truly disappear."

"You all go out and search too!"

"The best quality one got away; all our work was for nothing!"

Upon hearing the Serpent Lizard Clan Chief's instructions, the three elders present did not say much and all soared into the sky.

In the vast wilderness, it is not easy for sixth-tier beings like them to find hidden creatures.

Then, the serpent lizard clan leader also disappeared from the spot and entered the depths of the treasure ship.

The interior of this treasure ship is covered with witchcraft, depicting images of huge, legged serpents that crawl throughout the cabin, creating a space resembling a realm.

The modern lizard tribe no longer possesses such powerful witchcraft; this treasure ship was passed down from their ancestors.

The powerful magical heritage of the serpent lizard tribe at its peak enabled them to construct such magical artifacts that could open up vast spaces.

Inside the space, there was a cage formed by snakes coiled together, their mouths and tails connected.

With each breath, these snakes release wisps of gray air.

Inside each cage, there was a human figure, a warrior, or a wizard.

Each of them had their eyes closed, their faces flushed, as if they were unconscious, and with each breath they would inhale the air released by the snake cage. There were 103 humans here, the strongest of whom had reached the mid-stage of the fifth rank, and the weakest of whom was at least the fourth rank.

Judging by their bone age, none of them were over two hundred years old. In terms of cultivation level, they were all in their prime, at the peak of their vitality. The serpent lizard clan lord arrived outside the cage that was holding the mid-stage fifth-order human.

The figure inside the cage was covered in wounds, with several bloody gashes on its abdomen, touching the sacred treasure.

You can also see the location of the divine treasure, with spirits crawling like snakes, completely sealing off the flow of every bit of blood energy.

Yanzun opened his eyes and looked at the serpent lizard clan chief.

"I can help you find the people who escaped."

Bang!

But Yanzun's words caused the snake lizard clan chief to raise his paw and slam it onto the snake cage.

His dark golden eyes gleamed with indifference as he coldly said, "You can wait to become a sacrifice."

The reason why Yanzun's divine treasure was destroyed was because Yanzun had begged for mercy and, together with another guy who ran away, fooled him by saying that they could attract more humans.

He thought that by inflicting the snake venom unique to the snake lizard tribe, he could control these two humans, but unexpectedly, one of them still managed to escape.

The remaining one wanted to self-destruct on the spot.

Unfortunately, a fifth-tier ant is far from being able to self-destruct in front of a sixth-tier being.

The only unexpected thing was that the other one not only wasn't caught, but also sprouted wings and flew away.

"It seems Yan Lin has already left?"

Faced with the serpent lizard chieftain's rage, Yanzun couldn't help but grin, his internal injuries flaring up instantly, blood welling up and trickling down his cheeks. "How far do you think he can fly after taking one of my arrows?"

"Sooner or later I'll catch you and turn you into a sacrifice."

As he spoke, the serpent lizard chieftain looked at the humans inside the snake cages around him, his cold eyes now burning with intensity.

No matter how good the offerings are, as long as they can be delivered to the young master of the Golden Serpent Clan, it will be a great achievement.

As for why he didn't directly inform the young master of the Golden Serpent Clan about the human race residing here, he had other ideas.

Given the current situation of the Golden Serpent Clan, what better way to deliver the information than by sending this group of humans up there?

Although this group of humans was not large in number, none of them had turned into beasts; he had personally checked this.

These hundreds of fourth-tier and several fifth-tier individuals alone are comparable to tens of thousands of ordinary human beings.

Having these pledges of allegiance will also leave a good impression on the young master of the Golden Serpent Clan.

Especially the one who ran away, whose aura was the purest among these fifth-tier individuals.

According to the quality of the offerings, the one that escaped was the most superior and exquisite offering.

Its aura was as pure as that of a fifth-tier auspicious beast, and it was also an auspicious beast with a rich bloodline.

The reason he stayed here was to catch the one who had run away.

The fact that none of the humans who remained in the ruins city returned indicates that the humans he injured are still hiding outside.

There's still a chance to catch them.

Thinking of this, the serpent lizard clan lord wished he could tear the flame trout to shreds.

"Hahaha, you crawler, come on, kill me. If I even flinch, I'm no longer your grandpa."

Yanzun paid no attention to the blood gushing from his mouth and sneered at the snake lizard clan chief.

Although he was only at the fifth rank, he had already won against a sixth-rank opponent once, but he was simply not strong enough to escape.

With a thud, the serpent lizard chieftain slammed his hand on the snake cage again.

"Shut up!"

"If you want to die, it's only a matter of time."

Thinking that this was a sacrifice offered to the Golden Serpent Clan, the Serpent Lizard Clan Chief ultimately resisted the urge to take action.

It wasn't easy to deal with these humans. He had been lingering in and out of the Ruins City for years, but the humans had always been on guard, so there weren't many he could actually catch. Now that he had alerted the humans, the loopholes he could exploit were dwindling, and the humans were also looking for him.

However, there are many races that are greedy towards humans, so the snake-lizard race is not an exception, making it difficult for humans to figure out who did it.

"Don't go! I'll tell you where you can still capture my human race."

Inside the cage, Yanzun watched the departing figure of the snake lizard clan chief, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his expression turned worried again. He wondered if Yanlin had escaped or managed to send a message back.

The fact that this space was filled with Alliance warriors clearly indicated that this race had its eye on the human race.

What Yanzun feared was that if they waited any longer, the Firebearers sent by the Alliance to the surrounding areas would be discovered by this alien race.

By then, it will be too late.

The Alliance has discovered numerous human settlements along the line from Tu Shang Ancient City to Ruins City and has dispatched Torchbearers and Protectors. Currently, this alien race is likely only lingering around Ruins City and has not yet discovered any Torchbearers or Protectors.

He wasn't afraid of soul searching, as all the humans who ventured out of the Giant Mountain were protected by a divine soul barrier, making it difficult to expose the alliance's secrets.

Deep within the vast mountains, a herd of blue-striped deer frolics in the forest.

Deep in the forest, many spirit deer searched for medicinal herbs from the surrounding area, and once they found them, they all piled them up in a hollow of an old tree.

Inside the tree hollow, a "Azure-Striped Spirit Deer" lay unconscious, a bloody hole in its belly from which blood had flowed, forming a pool. It was Yan Lin who had escaped.

Gradually, he regained consciousness and then realized that he could not move at all when he tried to get up.

The witch's pouch and communication device were lost when he was captured; his escape was purely by chance.

A sixth-tier being attacked, severely injuring him. This was only because the creature showed mercy, wanting to spare his life; otherwise, he would likely have been blown to bits. He was also fortunate to have cultivated a battle body that allowed him to transform into a wild beast, enabling him to successfully hide.

In addition, as he is a top-tier spiritual herb cultivator in the alliance, he is very fond of spiritual plants. Over the years, he has observed the bloodlines of auspicious beasts while cultivating his battle body, which is why he is able to make this group of blue-striped spirit deer regard him as their own kind.

Unable to move and without his communication device, Yan Lin was at a loss as to how to send a message to the Alliance.