Chapter 513
Mountain of Rocks
Wanshi meant ‘ten thousand rocks’ because their fire seed originated from rocks!
The Wanshi fire seed was born within ten thousand boulders stacked up into a mountain!
Amongst the grey flames, the Wanshi tribe was only faintly visible. Due to the air currents and flickering flames, his silhouette was distorted and stretched, making him look eerie.
Although they could not see him clearly, Shao Xuan heard a manic guffaw coming from the fire pit.
“Hahaha! Whose fault is it that the Flaming Horns have no more fire seed? Let’s see how you will fight me without a fire seed!”
Boom! Boom!
Grey fireballs crashed into the ground like asteroids. There was no time to breathe. There was already a third ring of flames around the fire pit.
The Flaming Horns carrying the wounded could feel their bodies weakening very quickly, muscles twitching at their temples and large beads of sweat rolled down their bodies. They had only run barely a hundred meters, this was nothing. Yet they felt like they were running against floodwaters, every step was difficult.
The warriors protecting the rest also felt the same, warding off people fiercely. However, they felt their strength wearing out, their muscles weakening. Flaming Horns were a strong group so they could still resist for a while. Other people would have died under the Wanshi’s attacks already.
“Careful!”
A large ball of grey flames was headed towards the group of people.
The grey patch of fireballs in the sky was rapidly expanding, covering a huge area. They would not be able to escape in time. Dodging one fireball did not mean they could dodge the next. The ten warriors in the group could only face the fireball head-on. As they stared at the fireball heading towards them, they raised their weapons and braced for impact.
The grey flames penetrated their knives, spears and axes, then their bodies. There was a loud boom as the flames landed. The ground shook for what seemed like a long time.
Although the flames pierced through their bodies, it did not cause any surface physical damage. Yet the Flaming Horns within fle like they were crushed by a huge boulder, trapped underneath with a strong force pressing from all directions. They felt their blood vessels flatten, a terrifying force rushing towards their heads.
Even the slave masters hiding outside the battlefield shuddered. Although they weren’t there, the power of the fire seed terrified them. They could easily control a slave without a fire seed but it was very difficult to control a warrior with awakened totemic power. This was the power of the fire seed.
The slave masters were the descendants of tribesmen who merged with the fire seed. After a very, very long time, they turned into slave masters also with the fire seed within. The war between fire seeds, like war between humans, had never stopped.
The slave masters who had once mulled over the idea of betraying Wanshi were relieved that they didn’t go through with their plans. If Wanshi was forced to unleash their fire seed, they would meet the same fate as the Flaming Horns.
“Thank goodness we didn’t act then!”
“Looks like Flaming Horn is going to suffer. Let’s hope Wanshi will take this chance to destroy Flaming Horn.” The slave masters who never liked the Wanshi tribe started to change their minds.
One slave master’s eyes darted around. With a low voice, he said, “What if we take this opportunity to help Wanshi?”
This idea came from the young master of Sky Wheel City, the one who previously looked down on Wanshi. Now that Wanshi was at an advantage, he changed his mind.
“You make sense. Let’s do it!”
There were other people who agreed with the young master. They led their slaves towards the battlefield.
Shao Xuan was also within range of the Wanshi tribe’s grey range. He could clearly feel his powers being suppressed, though his movements were still more agile than the rest.
When he saw more and more Flaming Horns falling within range, his heart clenched and he shouted, “Everyone, group together! Come closer! Don’t scatter too far! The more of us, the better! ‘If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist’! Do not fear!”
Did the Wanshi shaman really think their fire seed was gone? How could he?!
‘If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist’, it just wasn’t in its primitive state.
Shao Xuan started pulling the Flaming Horn warriors closer together. He dodged a blade and kicked a Wanshi tribesmen’s chest, then continued heading towards a group of Flaming Horns.
These were the people who first came with him. They could not escape the range of the fire seed now. After hearing him, the warriors who had been scattered during the fight started heading closer together. Running would not help now.
This was their first time facing such a powerful fire seed, they had no experience, hence it was chaotic. Shao Xuan’s words were like a ray of light. Without thinking if it would work, their first response was to obey his instructions.
After grouping together, the Flaming Horns felt a weight lifted. Their totemic patterns had been slowly fading, now they were bright once again. The power of the fire seed within them seemed to break through its icy cage and was awakened again.
It worked!
It was true. When they merged with the fire seed, the shaman mentioned that the fire seed will exist as long as the tribesmen did. They thought it was more like a religious faith in the fire seed. Now, they truly understood what it meant.
The fire seed was in them, burning! It had never died! One person’s strength was limited, the fire seed was tiny. However, when more people grouped together, it was like sparks merging into a fireball. Fireballs merged together could become a roaring fire.
Shao Xuan’s instructions were passed to everyone. Duo Kang, Gui He and Ta called everyone over so the scattered warriors returned. Ao and Zheng Luo at the back also helped regroup the warriors.
If the warriors were initially like scattered beads, they slowly regrouped to form a chain once again. Although they couldn’t get an exact line or group into a circle, it now resembled a battle front. Under the immense pressure of the fire seed’s power, this front line was like a red hot slaughter knife, slicing through the pressure.
The effects of the Wanshi fire seed grew smaller and smaller. Although the flames had piled on them at a terrifying rate, at this moment, Flaming Horn had lost its fear. On the contrary, the power of the fire seed within slowly activated, their determination to fight grew as the seconds passed.
The Wanshi shaman was right. It was still extremely difficult to completely annihilate another tribe even in a war of this scale. They must hold on, and it will be a battle between fire seeds now.
Tribes didn’t usually use their fire seeds for battle. The absence of the Flaming Horn’s fire seed used to be the reason for Wanshi’s confidence, but their opponent’s behaviour baffled them.
Why?
Why did they sense the presence of Flaming Horn’s fire seed now?!
Wasn’t it supposed to be gone? They didn’t sense anything before this?!
Were the Flaming Horns insane, bringing their fire seed along while invading another tribe?
Where was it? Where the hell was their fire seed then?!
The shaman studied the fire seed energetic patterns across the lands only to realise the Flaming Horn’s fire seed seemed to be everywhere at once. While each point was faint, they all strung together into a powerful line that could crack a mountain.
Two sources of power were colliding!
It didn’t matter if they were Flaming Horns, Wanshi tribesmen or slave masters, everyone could sense the changes.
The slave masters who planned to enter the war and help Wanshi suddenly realised the tables had turned. They hesitated and slowed down their actions, waiting for the next move. They watched from afar. If Wanshi could continue to take the upperhand, then they would help.
Next to the fire pit, the Wanshi shaman’s eyes were filled with disbelief. “Why… why is this happening?!”
What have you all done?!
Shao Xuan picked up an injured Flaming Horn warrior collapsed on the ground, then put him on his shoulder. While the injury was not serious, he was too weak against the Wanshi fire seed’s pressure. He had been too far from everyone else so when they retreated, this warrior wasn’t with them.
The Wanshi shaman snapped back into reality when he saw Shao Xuan running back and forth while everyone was already huddled together. He glared at Shao Xuan fiercely, grey totemic patterns on his twisted features made him look savage.
“I don’t care what you do, you will all die here today! You will be bones under Wanshi’s mountain of fire!”
A column of fire erupted from the fire pit, condensed into a ball and then fell directly where Shao Xuan was.
Shao Xuan sensed a large wad of energy above his head, as if the sky was falling. Without much thought, he tossed the people on his shoulder towards the group of Flaming Horns with all his might.
On the next moment, a large force fell, blanketing the earth and the skies like an avalanche. He felt his muscles and bones squeezed downwards, as if he was now bearing the weight of a mountain.
The greyness enveloped him, blocking out all light as if night had fallen