Shen Nong's current ability level is much higher than when she first arrived last year. Not only can she control giant beasts, but she can also help small tribes in distress.
A small tribe of orcs was knocked to the ground by a giant beast. Just as the beast was about to trample over him, a vine wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the beast's attack range.
Besides, many other orc tribes were able to catch their breath and survive because Shen Nong controlled the vines to block the giant beast's fatal blow.
The rescued beastmen were unaware that the vines were controlled by Shen Nong. They thought that the Beast God had descended to earth and saved them. If it weren't for the fact that they were in the wrong place, they would have knelt down and thanked the Beast God for saving their lives.
They were unaware, but the priests of the Vine Tribe saw it all clearly. From the moment they arrived, Vine's eyes had never left Shen Nong.
Tengmu saw everything he did clearly. Although it seemed strange at first, he eventually figured it out. He realized that Shen Nong was manipulating the vines to save many beastmen.
He even saved one of the orcs from his vine tribe.
Tengmu stared intently at Shen Nong with a complicated expression. Now, apart from their Tengman tribe, all other tribes had become subordinate tribes of the Mu tribe. Each tribe had beastmen working for the Mu tribe. It was said that the Mu tribe also had a building called the school, where beastmen could pay some meat to learn to read and write.
During this beast tide, among the many orc warriors brought by the Wood Tribe, he saw Wolf Leaf, Fox Five, and Deer Ten. They had changed a lot since they were with the Vine Tribe.
They grew stronger and taller. And their features were unlike anything he had ever seen before, something only the most powerful beasts possessed. Not only did the three of them have it, but all the orc warriors from the Wood Tribe had it, and each one was more intense than the last.
What kind of tribe is this, that it possesses so many unparalleled orc warriors?
If... if their Vine Tribe could possess these orc warriors, the tribe could certainly become a large tribe, and all the surrounding tribes could become their vassal tribes.
High Priest—he longed to hear priests from other tribes call him that.
Tengmu's cloudy eyes held a strange obsession. He wished the priest of the Wood Tribe were dead. Because of his arrival, the Wood Tribe had transformed itself from a mere meat shield against beast tides into a powerful tribe in just four seasons.
If the Wood Tribe priest dies, the Wood Tribe will surely return to its weakest state. Meanwhile, the Vine Tribe will thrive under his leadership, and sooner or later, priests from other tribes will call him High Priest.
Fujiki looked at the animal skin bag tied around his waist, which was filled with powder made from dried and ground Mimi leaves.
The smoke from the burning leaves of their vine tribe can lull orcs and all animals to sleep. However, the powder made from dried leaves can drive orcs and all animals mad.
If he can use the berserk beast to get rid of the Wood Tribe priest today, he, Tengmu, will become the high priest sooner or later!
Tengmu tightly clutched the animal skin bag and slowly moved towards Shen Nong amidst the chaos.
A note from the author:
Baidu search term: "Natural Mordants"
Chapter 104
Animal stampede
By this time, the beast tide was more than halfway over, and the beastmen were exhausted. Except for the Wood Tribe, the beastmen from all other tribes began to seek out tribes of similar strength and form alliances to hunt together.
The smaller tribes avoided the agile and swift giants, targeting instead larger, slower-moving ones. Several tribes would join forces to attack a single beast; although this meant a smaller share of the spoils, it effectively reduced casualties.
Fujiki wanted to sneak up on Shen Nong, but when he tried, he realized that he had no way to get close.
The opponent manipulated the vines, weaving back and forth through the horde of giant beasts. The speed was so fast that even his eyes couldn't keep up, let alone an old man like him.
But he couldn't just give up like that. Since he couldn't get close to the Wood Tribe priest, he would target his own people.
If all the orcs from the Wood Tribe who came to hunt died in the beast tide, he didn't believe that the other side could suddenly conjure up so many high-level orcs.
Tengmu crouched low and circled around to a suitable large tree. He placed the wooden stick he was using for support and laboriously climbed the trunk. Due to the beast tide, the entire tree was swaying. Tengmu had to hold onto the trunk tightly and move forward slowly.
Finally reaching the top of the tree trunk, he looked at the Wood Tribe orcs not far away and smiled. He yanked the animal skin bag from his waist, not caring whether he would fall off the tree due to loss of balance, and threw the bag full of bewitching leaf powder towards the Wood Tribe orcs.
The animal hide bundle scattered powder in mid-air, instantly agitating the giant beasts that smelled it. Those giant beasts that hadn't smelled it also became restless due to the commotion caused by the frenzied beasts.
The behemoths, driven into a frenzy, charged toward the hunting grounds of the Wood Tribe orcs, drawn by the scent of the Bewitching Leaf Powder. Shen Nong, noticing the riot of the beast tide, quickly turned to look and discovered that a portion of the beast tide was heading toward the Wood Tribe orcs.
After throwing away the animal skin bag, Tengmu backed down the tree, not wanting the people of the Wood Tribe to know that he was the one who did it.
The Wood Tribe beastmen were engaged in fierce battle. Although they noticed the sudden change in the beast tide, they were unable to escape. Just when it seemed there was no way to avoid it, several branches sprang up from the direction from which the giant beasts were attacking, quickly forming a wooden wall that temporarily blocked the beasts' advance.
"It's a priest!" the Wood Tribe beastmen exclaimed in surprise as they looked at the wooden wall.
Tiger Roar knew that the wooden wall wouldn't hold for long against so many frenzied beasts; he had to finish the fight quickly. He exerted all his strength, biting down on the neck of the beast he was fighting, tearing off a chunk of bloody flesh. The beast was covered in sharp spikes, except for its neck, where the skin was incredibly tough.
Tiger Roar, relying on the brute force of an eighth-level orc, bit through the flesh of the giant beast's neck. His teeth also suffered, becoming quite loose. The white fur around his mouth was soaked with beast blood, and drops of blood were dripping down his fur. After dealing with the giant beast on his side, he didn't even bother to check his teeth, and rushed to the left to help Rabbit Wind block some of the giant beast's attacks.
Rabbit Wind had already single-handedly killed five giant beasts and was now exhausted. If Tiger Roar hadn't pushed him aside to shield him, half of his head would have been sliced off by the bear-like beast's sharp claws. Tiger Roar had three deep, bone-revealing wounds on his back, but he seemed oblivious, letting out an angry roar as he pounced on the bear-like beast.
At this moment, Tu Feng had no time to inquire about Hu Xiao's injuries. He knew the wooden wall wouldn't hold for long, and they needed to quickly deal with the giant beasts inside. Otherwise, once the wooden wall broke, they would still be held back by the giant beasts inside, attacked from both sides, making escape even more difficult.
In order to prolong the time before the wooden wall was breached, Shen Nong controlled the vines to drag the giant beasts that were running towards the Wood Tribe orcs.
Seeing this, Ze wanted to give Shen Nong the golden light, but Shen Nong stopped him, saying, "Don't worry about me. Go help the beastmen kill the giant beast so that they can have a chance to escape before the wooden wall completely collapses."
Ze didn't want to leave Shen Nong alone, but he also knew in his heart that this was the best way. The sooner he dealt with the giant beast inside the wall, the sooner Shen Nong could retract her powers and avoid being injured due to excessive energy consumption.
With Ze's addition, the Wood Tribe beastmen found things much easier. Ze seemed tireless, putting all his strength into every move. His mind was consumed by only one thought: faster, faster...
"High Priest, we're here!" Songshan's voice was somewhat inaudible amidst the roars of the beast tide, and at first Shen Nong thought she was hallucinating.
The mountain tribe was hunting in another direction at the moment, so how could Songshan, as the chieftain, possibly come here?
When a squirrel dozens of times larger than an ordinary squirrel appeared before Shen Nong, he realized that he had not misheard.
Songshan really came, and not only him, but also Lynx, the chieftain of the Wind Tribe.
"What are you doing here?" Shen Nong wanted them to leave quickly, lest none of them be able to get out. But before he could finish speaking, he noticed a change occurring inside the wooden wall.
At some point, orcs from all tribes gathered here from all directions, and those with spare strength joined the ranks of those quickly killing the giant beast. Those who were too weak or seriously injured all held themselves behind the wooden wall, engaging in a tug-of-war with the giant beast that was determined to push it down.
Songshan took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "High Priest, we've come here to assist you. What do you need us to do?"
Shen Nong knew they weren't going to leave now, so he didn't refuse anymore. He had known from the beginning that the sudden movement of the beast tide was man-made. As his abilities improved, Shen Nong's perception of plants also became much stronger. Although he couldn't even match the smell of low-level beastmen for other things, he was certain he wouldn't be wrong about plants.
Only a faint, strange scent of plant powder lingered in the air of the area where their Wood Tribe orcs hunted, and only the giant beasts in this hunting area suddenly went berserk.
All the tribes that came to hunt the beast tide were subordinate tribes of the Tamu tribe, and now they were all helping them resist the rampaging beast tide. Only the Vine tribe, which was far from the center, was an exception.
Moreover, the scent of plant powder in the air was thick and familiar; I remembered smelling it when I rescued the old man and child from the cave in the vine tribe. However, the concentration back then wasn't as high, and it lingered in the air for a very short time. Unlike this one, which has remained in the air since the beast tide uprising.
“I don’t need your help here, but there is indeed something I need you to do.” Shen Nong glanced in the direction of the Vine Tribe without making a sound, and said to Songshan and Lynx, “Find a way to detain the chieftain and priest of the Vine Tribe for me.”
Songshan and Lynx exchanged a glance. They had originally come to protect the High Priest at the priest's command. Now, leaving... Songshan hesitated, but only for a moment.
He pulled Lynx along, making her leave with him. "The priest said we must obey the high priest in everything."
The orcs who had gone to help the Wood Tribe orcs kill the giant beast quickly realized they weren't really helping and might even be hindering the orcs' attack. To avoid making things worse, they all ran behind the wooden wall.
With the help of other tribes of orcs, the wooden wall held up for much longer. Shen Nong also saved some of her supernatural abilities, at least she wouldn't faint on the way back to the tribe.
...
Catvine was leading his hunting party of orc warriors in a hunt for what was arguably the smallest of the giant beasts when he noticed the unusual movement of the beast tide. He also guessed that this sudden disturbance might be related to their priest, who had disappeared for some time and then returned.
But even if he guessed something, he couldn't change anything. Ever since the orcs left the tribe, the old priest had been acting strangely.
He used to listen to everyone, but now the old priest won't listen to anyone. He also has even more control over the tribe members, especially the orcs in the hunting parties and guard teams.
Both teams had orcs who broke away from the tribe that night, and these orcs were the most capable and promising members of their respective teams.
After the small behemoth was completely killed, the orc warriors of the Vine Tribe were also exhausted. They were unable to kill any more behemoths, and Catvine did not intend to stay any longer. They had planned to lead the tribe away from this troublesome place as soon as possible after this behemoth was killed.
When Songshan and Lynx appeared, Catvine knew what their priest had done, and the Wood Tribe already knew. The Vine Tribe, they couldn't be afraid of falling.
Upon seeing Matsuyama and Lynx, Fujiki was on high alert. He pounded the ground with his stick to urge the orcs of the Vine Tribe to fight, yelling, "Are you dead? Defend now!"
The beastmen of the Vine Tribe were exhausted and unable to even walk back to their tribe, let alone fight two powerful tribal chiefs.
Catvine stepped forward and, forcing himself to stay awake, asked, "Two chieftains, what brings you to our tribe?"
Matsuyama had a very bad impression of Fujiki. The old man's expression and eyes made him feel like he was a venomous snake. He deliberately avoided looking at Fujiki's expression and said to Cat Vine, "The High Priest wants to see you and your priests."
"What do you mean, 'see'? He took so many orcs from our tribe, and you cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong, not one of you helped our Vine Tribe, and you even became his subordinate tribes! You have disgraced the orc warriors!" Vinewood kept pounding the ground with a wooden stick and muttering to himself.
Matsuyama was too lazy to listen to his nonsense and was about to make a move when he was stopped by Nekoteng.
When Fujiki saw that Cat Vine had intervened, he finally showed some delight. He raised his head high and said with disdain, "Get those two things out of here."
Catvine ignored Tengmu's words. The old priest had gone mad; he was perfectly lucid.
Knowing that the Vine Tribe was no match for these two, and that a conflict was brewing, he didn't know how many of his tribe would be left. So he feigned weakness and said, "Don't fight, I'll go with you."
Fujiki was stunned, then roared, "What are you saying!"
Lynx didn't want to keep Shen Nong waiting, so he acted swiftly, before Cat Vine could even react. By the time Cat Vine realized what was happening, their priest had already been knocked unconscious and carried on the other's shoulder.
He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. As he left, he said to the beastmen of the vine tribe, "Take the meat back to the tribe first."
Catvine was adamant and gave his people no chance to object, so they had no choice but to nod and promise to do as he said.
Songshan and his companion led their men to a place untouched by the beast tide, and after the tide subsided, they took them directly to see Shen Nong.
Meanwhile, the Wood Tribe had also completely killed the giant beast inside the wooden wall. Shen Nong increased her energy to restrain the berserk beast, buying the beastmen more time to escape.
Once the beastmen had all broken free, the wooden wall blocking their path and the vines binding them vanished abruptly, and the frenzied beasts surged towards one spot like a tidal wave. However, because of the numerous beast corpses beneath their feet, they lost their reason and did not know to dodge; one fell in front, and one after another, they fell to the ground.
He rushed over immediately to check if Shen Nong was injured, and only after confirming that Shen Nong was alright did he feel completely relieved.
It is unknown how long this "beast tide stampede" lasted, but it is known that when the beast tide ended, a mountain of giant beast corpses was left behind, which made the beastmen of various tribes forget their pain and their eyes light up.
Good heavens! This is all meat!
Shen Nong never expected the final result to be like this; this was far more than the amount of hunting in their tribe.
Big Black prefers smaller pieces of giant beast meat, while the Wood Tribe hunts only large giant beasts. So it hunted alone with Tuanzi, and as a result, it escaped being caught.
When Big Black brought Tuanzi to meet up with the Wood Tribe, they were so shocked by the countless giant beast carcasses piled up in the Wood Tribe's hunting grounds that they dared not utter a sound. Big Black swallowed hard, thinking to itself how lucky it was that it and Tuanzi were now bears of the Wood Tribe.
After the beast tide ended, Songshan came over and told Shen Nong that the two people from the Vine Tribe had been detained.
His blood boiled, and Songshan's voice trembled slightly. He was simply inexperienced; he couldn't even imagine which tribe could hunt so many giant beasts.
This amount of meat is probably more than the entire Mu tribe could eat for over a dozen springs, summers, autumns, and winters.
Shen Nong summoned Tu Feng and asked him to coordinate with Song Shan regarding the two from the Vine Tribe. There was no time to deal with those two now; they needed to figure out a way to get the giant beast meat back.
After the initial shock, the other tribes returned to their respective hunting grounds to process their prey.
Shen Nong sent someone back to the tribe to call more orcs to come and move the meat, and then followed Dahei and Tuanzi to collect all their prey into the system space.
Shen Nong didn't plan to bring all the giant beasts in the Wood Tribe's hunting area back to the tribe. Fortunately, other tribes held back the wooden wall, buying the Wood Tribe's orcs a lot of time, allowing them to retreat safely.
The amount Shen Nong left for each tribe was enough to feed them until the end of next spring, and smaller tribes with fewer people could eat for even longer.
When the beastmen from each tribe learned that Shen Nong was actually sharing giant beast meat with them, they were all stunned and forgot to react.