When they arrived at the council building, they were stopped by the orcs, who told them to sit down first, as the high priest still had matters to attend to upstairs.
The priests had no objections and took their seats. However, they were all somewhat puzzled after seeing which priest had been left behind.
There was a priest from the Feather Tribe whom they had never met before; the youngest and weakest priest from the Ant Tribe, the most powerful tribe in the area; an elderly priest from the Wind Tribe; and a priest from the Rain Tribe, even older than the Wind Tribe priest. There was also a priest from the Mountain Tribe, the first tribe to become a vassal of the Wood Tribe; and a priest from the Grass Tribe, who was bad-tempered, more like an orc than a priest, and who didn't respect anyone except the High Priest.
The six of them whispered among themselves, trying to guess what their high priest was up to, but they couldn't figure it out.
At this moment, Shen Nong was upstairs, meeting with the orc warriors who had been chosen to take the Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Knowing that there was something that could make their bodies stronger and their advancement faster, the orc warriors were incredibly excited and overjoyed. Even after Shen Nong told them how painful it would be to take the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the orcs still chose to take the gamble.
Shen Nong gave them the pills and told them to take them when they returned to the military guard. At the same time, she instructed Ze to keep an eye on them and pay attention to any changes in their physical condition.
The six priests, who had been waiting downstairs for a while, turned their heads to look when they heard a noise at the top of the stairs. About twenty orc warriors came down from upstairs, each with excitement on their face.
The priests recognized that most of them had won prizes in the contest, but there were also several who had not won and had placed fourth.
As Ze walked at the very back, passing the six priests, he succinctly said, "Go up."
With the high priest's partner having spoken, the priests from the six tribes didn't delay and quickly went upstairs.
Lu Shuang also came out of the next room and bumped right into the priests who were going upstairs. He stopped at the door and let the first mountain tribe priest go in first.
After all six people entered the room, Lu Shuang stepped inside, closed the door, and walked directly to Shen Nong's side.
"I called you all here because I want to talk to you about something." Shen Nong's gaze swept over the six people, taking in the blank looks on their faces. "You all know I can control trees and vines, right?"
The six nodded. "We understand."
Shen Nong nodded and said to Lu Shuang, "Lu Shuang, demonstrate your abilities to the six priests."
Upon hearing this, the priests instinctively looked at Lu Shuang. Lu Shuang, already prepared, turned her palm upwards and, in the blink of an eye, condensed a small water droplet in her palm. The droplet grew larger and larger, hovering in Lu Shuang's palm.
The priests were terrified. What kind of ability was this?! Ant Wind, the youngest priest of the ant tribe, was also the most timid. The appearance of something out of thin air frightened him, and he shrank behind the grass tribe priest who was closest to him.
Yu Ji reacted the fastest because of the events involving the Wushan tribe, and because his Yu tribe had once been one of the major tribes in the east, with its priests capable of controlling fire. After the lineage was broken, the tribe's priests passed down the stories of what had happened orally, and he knew quite a bit about the ability to manipulate natural energy.
Yu Ji seemed to have guessed Shen Nong's meaning. He suppressed his excitement, but his eyes could not lie.
Shen Nong realized that Yu Ji understood what he meant, so he stopped teasing her. He looked at Yi Feng and said softly, "Yi Feng, don't be afraid. This is water in the air that Lu Shuang has condensed. It won't hurt you."
Yi Feng nodded nervously. Trusting Shen Nong, he slowly moved his feet and stepped out from behind Cao Qing.
Lu Shuang dissolved the water in her palm, and Shen Nong looked at the six priests, "Each priest has a spiritual core within her body that can control natural energy, but your spiritual cores have not yet been awakened. If you are willing, I will awaken your spiritual cores for you. However, after awakening, you will have an additional identity as warriors of the Wood Tribe, participating in the war to protect the Wood Tribe."
Cao Qing couldn't hold back his words. He didn't understand what Shen Nong said earlier, but he understood the last sentence. He asked in surprise, "As a subordinate tribe, you must protect the High Priest and the main tribe unconditionally, no matter how many orc warriors die, even if it means the extermination of the tribe."
The other five nodded repeatedly, "Yes."
Shen Nong replied, "But priests don't participate in this. My condition now is that priests participate. So you should consider this carefully."
After hearing Shen Nong's affirmation, Yu Ji thought for a moment and then readily agreed. His Yu tribe had lost its lineage for so many generations; now that an opportunity to continue its tradition was presented to him, how could he possibly let it pass by?
The other five priests hadn't yet grasped the meaning of the words when the old priest of the Rain Tribe tugged at Yu Ji and asked him what exactly Shen Nong meant by the awakening of the spirit core.
Yu Ji briefly explained what he knew, and the five of them understood. In short, they would gain abilities similar to Shen Nong and Lu Shuang, and they would have to protect the Mu tribe in the future.
"I'm willing too! I will protect the High Priest! Protect the Wood Tribe!" Ant Wind was the first to jump out and reply after understanding. He especially liked the Wood Tribe's High Priest, who not only taught him to read, but also gave him meat to eat and rewarded him with lots of candy. The beast tide wouldn't even let the Ant Tribe be used as meat shields, but their tribe's beastmen went to hold down the wooden wall, and in the end, the High Priest even shared a lot of beast meat with them.
The ant tribe is not afraid of not having food this winter. In Ant Wind's heart, even without awakening his abilities, he would still protect the High Priest and the Wood Tribe.
The other four priests were a step slower than Yi Feng, but their thoughts were the same as his. Yu Ji followed the other four priests and promised, "We swear to the Beast God that from this day forward we will protect the High Priest! We will protect the Wood Tribe!"
Not to be outdone, Lu Shuang shouted back from behind.
Shen Nong wanted to say that he didn't need protection, but seeing the serious expressions on the six people's faces, he swallowed his words and said, "If you encounter danger, the Mu tribe will not stand idly by."
The six people never expected to receive such a promise. They were a subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe. It was only subordinate tribes that protected the main tribe. How could the main tribe take the initiative to protect a subordinate tribe?
Other tribes refrain from attacking the main tribe because they see its strength and don't want to provoke it. If any tribe were to challenge the main tribe, the subordinate tribes would be the first to suffer.
Upon hearing Shen Nong's words, the six priests exclaimed excitedly, "High Priest! We will protect you and the Wood Tribe even if it means our deaths!"
"Alright, come and get the Marrow Cleansing Pills." Shen Nong distributed the Marrow Cleansing Pills to the six people, telling them that they would experience intense pain shortly after taking them, so that they could be mentally prepared.
After receiving the Marrow Cleansing Pill, none of the six of them examined it carefully before shoving it into their mouths. They were afraid of wasting time and that the pain would only intensify.
The six were arranged in other empty rooms on the second floor of the council building, where wooden beds had been prepared. Shen Nong sent someone to tell the chieftains of the six tribes that their priests would be staying overnight in the Wood Tribe to discuss something. Then, she and Lu Shuang guarded the council building, keeping a close eye on the six's condition.
The piercing screams echoed throughout the guard post and council chambers all night. The orcs of the Wood Tribe were familiar with the sound and knew nothing was wrong, so it didn't cause any panic or commotion. Only the slightly higher-ranking orcs were kept awake all night by the noise.
The following day, Shen Nong, who had also stayed up all night, checked the six people's bodies and found nothing wrong; all of them had successfully awakened.
Yu Ji awakened fire-type abilities, Shan Feng and Yi Feng awakened earth-type abilities, Cao Qing awakened wood-type abilities, Yu Lin awakened water-type abilities, and Feng Wu awakened a mutated wind-type ability.
The six who had just awakened didn't yet know how to draw energy from their spirit cores or use their abilities, but they had already noticed changes in their bodies. Rainforest and Windmist felt it most keenly; their current physical condition was similar to that of their youth.
Shen Nong was exhausted after staying up all night, so he told the six of them to get a good night's sleep in the council building. He would teach them how to use their superpowers after they woke up.
Lu Shuang also stayed in the council building to catch up on sleep, while Shen Nong, who was not used to sleeping in her own bed, had to go back to her own courtyard to sleep.
Back in his courtyard, Shen Nong fell asleep the moment his head hit the bed. After a deep sleep of an hour or two, his mind began to clear, and his brows furrowed unconsciously, as if something was missing. Just as he was about to wake up, Shen Nong felt a familiar embrace, and his brows were gently smoothed. He knew that Ze had returned, and he drifted back into a deep sleep.
When Shen Nong woke up, it was already afternoon. Fearing that Shen Nong might not be used to waking up again in the middle of the night, Ze did not return to the military guard unit, but stayed with Shen Nong as she slept.
Shen Nong had slept well and felt languid all over. He sat on the bed, hugging his pillow, not really wanting to get up. "How are those beastmen who took the Marrow Cleansing Pill doing?"
Seeing that Shen Nong's lips were a little dry, Ze quickly sat up, got out of bed, and poured her some water. "Everything is fine."
Shen Nong hugged his pillow and nodded gently. Thinking that Ze's score ranked first, he asked curiously, "You can make a request of me. What is it?"
Ze handed the water glass to Shen Nong, his eyes flickering slightly. Shen Nong lowered her eyes and drank the water. Ze stood by the bed and said helplessly, "Priest, you said before that you like children, but I am a male beastman and cannot have children. Priest, you also said before that you can only have one partner, so you cannot have children with other people."
Shen Nong had a premonition that there would be a big surprise waiting for him after the next word. Afraid of choking, Shen Nong quickly put the water glass on the bedside table.
Sure enough, after a brief and strange silence, he began to make a request, "Priest, can you get a pill from the Beast God that will allow me to have children? Like the Marrow Cleansing Pill."
Shen Nong was momentarily stunned, as if frozen in place. He wondered if he was hallucinating from sleep. What kind of ridiculous request was this? He couldn't understand it at all.
However, he did notice that every time he took something from the system, Ze assumed it was from the Beast God.
"Your request is to have a child?" Shen Nong pointed to herself with the tip of her index finger, confirming, "To have my child?"
Ze's tall figure blocked the sunlight streaming in from outside, so Shen Nong couldn't see his expression, but she could hear his affirmative voice, "Yes."
A strange image flashed through Shen Nong's mind, but before it fully formed, he abruptly shook his head. He just wanted to enjoy himself, not to exert himself!
"I don't want to!"
Shen Nong knew Ze had misunderstood. Although he liked children, liking them and having children were two different things. Besides, he liked men, and regardless of whether he had a partner or not, what did he need children for?
Keze's serious tone and thoughtful affirmation made Shen Nong realize that he wasn't joking; he genuinely thought so.
“Ze…” Shen Nong tried to hold back, but the strange images in his mind wouldn’t go away. In the end, he couldn’t help but smile.
To speak properly, Shen Nong forced herself to take a few deep breaths and said seriously, "Life is sacred and precious, and we cannot arbitrarily decide to bring a new life into the world. Besides, when I said I liked children, I didn't mean I wanted children. Who in the tribe doesn't like obedient and sensible children? Also, there is no elixir in this world that can make a man give birth!"
Ze asked somewhat uncertainly, "The priest really doesn't like it? Are there really no pills?"
Shen Nong nodded vigorously, "Really, no!"
Since this misunderstanding, Shen Nong has come to realize the importance of communication between partners.
He also realized that the primitive beastmen and interstellar humans thought differently. He had always treated their relationship in the way an interstellar human would, giving each other enough space.
When Shen Nong asked Ze why he was suddenly so down, she only asked once. Seeing his hesitation, she stopped asking. Shen Nong thought she was giving him enough space, but she didn't expect it would only encourage him to overthink. A fertility pill, how could he even think of that!
——
The fruit in the orchard beside the waterfall is ripening, and the gathering team from the Wood Tribe goes to collect the fruit with baskets on their backs.
The harvest started earlier than last year, and there were more fruits this year. The fruit trees planted later have also ripened, but it will take another year or two before they bear fruit.
After all the fruit was picked, the food preparation team got busy. Some made dried fruit, and others made jam.
The six priests who had awakened their supernatural abilities had been living in the Wood Tribe, and they could only return once they had fully mastered their powers. Watching the Wood Tribe members busily preparing for winter with smiles on their faces, they too imagined that one day their tribe could be like the Wood Tribe, no longer fearing the cold winter.
Chapter 108
winter
Winter in the Beast World always comes very suddenly. One day it's a clear autumn day, and the next day it starts to snow lightly.
The beastmen of the Wood Tribe donned warm animal skin clothing, fully armed from head to toe, determined to stay indoors on their heated kang beds rather than venture out.
Taking advantage of the winter, Shen Nong roasted the tung oil that Bao Qiu and his group had brought back from their recent trade, pressed it to extract oil, and then used the refined tung oil to coat the furniture, preventing insects and decay. Shen Jiu also needed to buy some more tung oil to make some raw tung oil for medicinal use.
Before the snow completely blocked the road, the six tribal priests returned to their respective tribes. When Yu Ji left, Shen Nong told him about sending orcs to school. The dormitories were being built quickly; they could be finished up in the spring so as not to delay occupancy.
After returning, Yu Ji told his tribesmen the news, and the Yu tribesmen jumped and danced with joy in the snow. It was already late at night when they finally calmed down, making Yu Ji hesitant to reveal that he had awakened the tribal priest's inherited abilities. He looked for another opportunity to speak, but since it was such an important matter, he still told Ying Xi; Ying Xi was the tribal chief and should know.
"Priest, is this real?!" Yingxi exclaimed in disbelief. Could something that only existed in legends actually come true?
"Watch closely." Following Shen Nong's instructions, Yu Ji began to activate his supernatural ability. The instant the flames ignited in his palm, Ying Xi's eyes widened, and he leaned closer. The blazing fire, carrying heat, made Ying Xi's face feel the heat of the flames. "This is real! Real fire!"
Yu Ji wanted to say that it couldn't be fake, but the flames in his palm suddenly went out of control and shot up sharply. He had only been learning how to use his supernatural abilities from Shen Nong for a few days, and had only mastered the very basics, when winter came and he had to return to the Yu tribe.
The supernatural power suddenly went out of control, and Yu Ji panicked. Fortunately, he didn't have much spiritual core energy left. Although the fire suddenly grew larger, Ying Xi didn't have time to dodge and was partially covered in flames. However, Ying Xi retreated in time, so the chances of her face being burned were slim; at most, her hair would be burned.
After Yu Ji regained control of the fire and withdrew his supernatural power, he immediately checked Ying Xi's face to see if she had been burned by the fire, just in case.
He examined Yingxi's head from all angles, but couldn't find any burn marks, not even a single hair. The fire had clearly covered Yingxi's face...
"Priest, what are you looking at?" Yingxi asked, puzzled.
After a careful inspection, Yu Ji believed that Ying Xi was truly unharmed after his face was covered in fire. But the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. They made fires every day, and the beastmen's hair was long and messy. Sometimes, if they weren't careful and got too close to the fire, it would get scorched. There was no reason why, even though the fire had reached the head of his head, there shouldn't have been any change.
After thinking it over and over, Yu Ji suddenly remembered something Yingxi had mentioned to him during the battle with the Wushan tribe.
When the Wushan tribe was engulfed in flames, Yingxi, wanting to help the high priest escape, rushed into the inferno. He thought he would be burned, but he wasn't. He didn't even feel particularly hot in the fire.
Is Yingxi not afraid of fire? Or is fire unable to harm Yingxi?
After making this guess, Yu Ji looked at the bonfire not far away and said to Ying Xi, "Ying Xi, you may be a divine beast warrior who has not yet awakened."
“Divine Beast Warrior? How is that possible?” Yingxi waved her hand with a smile. “Divine Beast Warriors all have special abilities, but I don’t.”
“You might have it.” Yu Ji gestured for Ying Xi to look at the fire. “Try touching the fire with your hand. If it feels hot, you must move it away immediately.”
Yingxi found it incredibly strange. Who wouldn't feel the heat when their hand is burned? He repeated uncertainly, "Hold your hand on the fire?"
Yu Ji nodded, gazing quietly at Ying Xi without saying much. His attitude clearly told Ying Xi that he was serious and not talking nonsense.
The priest gave the order that Yingxi had to jump into the fire, even if it meant jumping into it. Left with no choice, Yingxi took a few steps forward, not daring to hesitate for long, and gritted his teeth, reaching his hand directly into the fire.