Deities: Rulers of Nature

By this time, the Xishan tribe had already lit torches, and the entrance was crowded with people.

One by one, the trial participants either returned successfully with their prey, or failed and were brought back by the supervisors, covered in wounds. But whether they succeeded or failed, as long as they returned alive, they were greeted with cheers and applause.

One failure is okay, as long as you're alive, there's always another chance to try.

The Temple Trials are not without a chance of death. Last year, a trial participant broke into the den of the Aomori wolves, and not only did he lose his life, but the supervisor also perished in the wolf bite.

Therefore, no one will laugh at failure; surviving the trial is itself proof of ability.

Crimson Mother also stood in the crowd, occasionally gazing into the distance.

"Someone just brought back your family's crimson prey, a bear that was so big. Don't worry about it," a female snake-woman nearby comforted her.

Crimson Mother managed a smile, but it was somewhat forced; she couldn't rest easy without seeing Crimson.

Time passed slowly, the torchlight flickered in the wind, and one after another, some more trial participants returned.

"Uncle Seido, Brother Aomori, Mom, I'm home!"

A voice came from the darkness first, followed by the figures of Crimson and Gold Sand stepping into the light.

"Good lad, you actually managed to hunt a bronze-tier wild beast." Qinglu praised with a smile. At the same time, he noticed the wounds on Chihong's body and cast a minor healing spell. Chihong's wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and soon only a few shallow marks remained.

Jinsha's judgment was correct; the wounds on Chihong's body only looked ferocious, but they had not damaged his bones or muscles.

"Jinsha, carry the crimson spoils to the altar," Qingdao said to Jinsha. "There are still two trial participants who haven't returned. Once they come back, we'll officially begin the sacrifice."

As for the issue of titles, their Xishan tribe only has a little over 500 people. If you put them on Earth, they wouldn't even be as big as some of the larger villages, so they don't have that many rules and regulations.

Crimson has been close to Green since childhood. He usually makes sure to address Green as "Clan Chief" or something similar, but when he's happy or excited, he always subconsciously calls Green "Brother."

After waiting for about half an hour, the last two trial participants returned with their supervisors.

One of them successfully hunted a white fox of the Black Iron rank, while the other passed by empty-handed, covered in wounds.

Soon, all the snake people in the tribe gathered in the central square.

As Qingdao approached the altar, the crowd quickly quieted down, and all eyes turned to him.

"A total of twenty people participated in this temple trial, and eight people passed the trial."

"The winner of this trial is Crimson." Qingdao's voice rose a few decibels. "He hunted one Black Iron-tier Thick-skinned Brown Bear and one Bronze-tier Illusionary Flower!"

"Crimson!" "Crimson!" "Crimson!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and the crimson-clad mother covered her mouth, tears finally streaming down her face.

Chi Hong turned to look at the cheering crowd, especially her mother's tearful, gratified expression, and a burning passion welled up in her heart.

The sacrificial ceremony began soon afterward.

The wild beasts hunted by the trial participants were neatly arranged on the altar, with the Illusionary Flower at the center.

"Great God of Nature!"

"Our people offer our sincerest faith, the bravery of our trial-takers, and sacrifices, beseeching your gaze."

"I pray that you will grant extraordinary power to those who succeed in the trial."

"..."

The prayer is quite long; it was something that the Qingdao branch of the Communist Party of China devised over the past three years.

Ji Xuan looked at the central square with satisfaction; it was becoming more and more presentable. He was truly pleased with the Xishan Serpent Clan.

He did not appear, but he also did not shield the saints from his senses; with a wave of his hand, golden light descended.

The eight snake-men who passed the trial were enveloped in golden light, with the most intense light falling on Crimson, who deserved it as the first-place winner.

Chi Hong felt warm all over, as if he had returned to his carefree childhood, with his mother holding him and basking in the sun.

[Information: The Snake-People of Xishan are holding a sacrificial ceremony]

[Information: Faith Points +14897]

After glancing at the snake people one last time, Ji Xuan turned and returned to the Natural Oak Tree, taking the Illusionary Flower with him.

As Qinglu sensed the departure of the sacred figure, she bowed reverently to the sky and then looked with satisfaction at the crimson figure enveloped in golden light.

The golden light gradually faded, and the ritual ended, yet it was not entirely over.

A huge bonfire was lit in the central square, where the snake people roasted and shared the prey hunted by the trial participants to celebrate their successful trial.

As the atmosphere reached its peak, Green pulled Crimson to the center of the glowing stone pillar and, amidst the snake people's puzzled gazes, announced:

"From today onwards, Crimson will become the young clan leader, and I will personally mentor him."

"Crimson!" "Crimson!"

"Young Clan Chief!" "Young Clan Chief!"

Cheers erupted one after another; no one objected, as Crimson's abilities were undeniable.

His flushed face flushed with excitement; he really hadn't expected this.

-----------------

The campfire burned until late into the night.

After returning home and lying on the bed, Chi Hong stared blankly at the roof beams.

In just one day, he completed the temple trial, became a temple guard, received the blessing of the God of Nature, and was eventually appointed as the young clan leader.

Although Qinglu said he would personally teach him, everyone in the tribe knew that this period would not be long, meaning that he would soon become the chieftain.

This made the newly adult Crimson feel a little unreal, as if she were in a beautiful dream.

He was getting closer and closer to his idol, Qinglu, not in terms of distance, but in a feeling he couldn't quite explain.

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Chi Hong closed her eyes and began to feel the changes in her body after receiving the divine gift.

The most obvious change is that he can now mobilize his blood and qi through the extraordinary seed, and his mental energy is also more fluid and smooth.

Secondly, Crimson realized that he could cast four divine spells: Minor Healing, Entangling, Plant Induction, and Thorn Shield. Of these, he had only seen Green and the others use Minor Healing and Plant Induction. The other two divine spells had not been granted to the temple guards.

[Entanglement Spell: Level 1 Plant Divine Spell. Consumes the user's own mental energy to guide the natural energy emitted by Jupiter to generate vines that bind the target.]

[Thorn Shield: ... Generates a thorn shield that not only effectively blocks attacks but also reflects a portion of the attack back to the attacker.]

After a brief introduction, Crimson discovered that all four divine arts were well-suited to his fighting style.

Finally, Crimson discovered that his poison sac had been modified by the god of nature.

His research on toxins was no longer limited to snake venom; he could study the venoms of other creatures, including poisonous insects, wild beasts, and even poisonous plants. Moreover, he could study them without the danger and trouble he faced when researching the venom of the blood-purging snake.

It was as if it were tailor-made for Crimson, at least he hadn't heard Crimson Wind, Crimson Water, or the other Crimson Chain Serpents who became temple guards mention it.