Chapter 469 (2/2)

The shamans did not tell them because they did not want the tribe to lose hope. It had been a thousand years and yet they still could not return. Somehow, after so many generations, this matter was slowly forgotten and only the highest-ranked members knew. Only Zheng Luo and the shamaness knew the true reason.

Shao Xuan’s arrival was a ray of hope.

In this past year, the shamaness had sent several batches of people to the coast where Shao Xuan arrived to wait for an opportunity for the whole tribe to move. However, nothing happened. No one knew when another opportunity would come.

How will they return?

Shao Xuan was deep in thought, distractedly mining the crystals.

The Mountain Wind chief noticed the odd tension in the atmosphere.

“I’ll check out the place.” Shao Xuan passed the fire crystals he mined to Zheng Luo and ran along the tunnel.

As he ran, Shao Xuan identified directions and calculated the distance until he stopped and looked at the top of the ‘tunnel’. This should be close to the Flaming Horn’s salt cave. Not directly above but diagonally above him.

He did not dig immediately. Shao Xuan continued walking along the tunnel until the end. This was where the king beast shot out of the ground but the hole was already sealed with a very thick layer of ice. The nearer he got to the hole, the colder it got.

Shao Xuan did not walk over. He merely listened. He could not hear the beast. Then, he turned around.

If the king beast sealed the hole with ice, it must not intend to return soon.

He called for the rest to come over and told them about his deductions. He planned to dig downwards from the Flaming Horn cave.

If they really were going to be trapped here for a few days, they couldn’t keep coming over through Fox’s cave, right? The beast had targeted Fox’s cave. They might anger the king beast. If the Fox and Shen people returned, they would not be able to avoid war too. There was no need to start a war in this climate.

All four agreed.

Shao Xuan quickly slashed his sword like a shovel, breaking the ice layer and dug around the rocks on the wall of the tunnel.

The other three also helped.

They weren’t sure of the situation outside so they couldn’t leave immediately. Might as well use the time to mine more crystals. Even if they had to fight the beast later, they would protect a team with their lives so they could bring the fire crystals back. All this could last the tribes a very long time.

The area they dug was not large. In the beginning, the rock was hard but as they dug upwards, it got easier.

Within the Flaming Horn cave, the warriors guarding the fire crystal pit panicked and ran to look for Duo Kang.

Duo Kang sent a portion of the people in the lower floor up in case the same frost incident happened. When that was done, he and a few men cautiously approached the fire crystal pit. If they saw any signs of frost, they would sprint away immediately.

Other than a king beast, what else lived underground?

Crush, crush, crush---

The sounds grew clearer. It did not sound like a king beast, there was no chilling aura. There was no frost either.

Enemies? Perhaps either the Fox or Shen tribe?

Duo Kang grew more alert and slowly inched forward. He craned his neck into the pit and gestured for everyone to be on guard.

They all clutched their weapons, so nervous their faces twitched. They were traumatised by the king beast and definitely did not want to see something else sprout from the ground. They hoped they’d see another human being. It didn’t matter if it was the Shen or Fox tribe, as long as it was human.

The sounds grew closer.

All the people around the pit were tense. It did not sound like a beast.

The ground seemed to loosen.

Duo Kang lifted a hand.

Poof! Rumble rumble.

Some soil and rocks were pushed aside.

Duo Kang was about to wave and yell ‘Attack!’ when he saw four dusty faces.

He squinted.

Three chiefs and their tribe Elder leapt out of the hole!