NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 166
Day 82 of the Black Mist Calendar.
The 99 members of the Spirit Clan set off towards Bear Mountain.
Meanwhile, Hao Lie had assembled an army under Apelo's guidance, preparing to march on the Black Feather Mountain.
The emergence of a new generation of tribulation transcenders was a momentous event for all clans within the Black Mist Zone. Over ten days ago, after Apelo informed Hao Lie about the tribulation transcenders' arrival, Hao Lie immediately relayed the message to the Royal Court. Simultaneously, he began preparing for war in his territory.
Today, news arrived from the Royal Court.
The content was as Hao Lie had expected—the Giant Clan officially declared their involvement.
Hao Lie was to be the vanguard.
Clad in armor, mounted on a beast resembling a mix of tiger and bear, Hao Lie stood at the front of the formation. Behind him, tens of thousands of Giant warriors stood in neat rows, a display of formidable military might.
He waved his hand, and the entire army set out!
Beside him, Apelo's eyes gleamed with a cold, vengeful light. "Big Brother," he warned, "that monster is extremely formidable. We need to be cautious."
Hao Lie, however, merely waved his hand dismissively.
"Brother, just wait and see. I'll avenge you and it'll be over!"
Hao Lie had learned about the Mother Tree's abilities from Apelo. It was indeed a formidable opponent.
However, Hao Lie was confident in his clan's strength. How could a mere creature stand against the might of the Giant Clan, a top-tier power?
Were tens of thousands of Giant warriors enough?
Not enough?
There were more on the way.
With unwavering confidence, Hao Lie's army marched toward the Black Feather Mountain, the location of the Blood Flesh Mother Tree and the New Yorkers.
Half a month later, on the 95th day of the Black Mist Calendar, Hao Lie's army neared the Blood Flesh Mother Tree.
Meanwhile, Velo and the Spirit Clan arrived outside the Nanxiang gathering place.
From afar, they saw smoke rising from the chimneys and people moving about. The black rice fields beyond the city walls stretched as far as the eye could see, a picture of tranquility and harmony.
Compared to when Velo had left, the Nanxiang gathering place had developed further, flourishing despite the dangers of the Black Mist Zone.
It had been a month since Velo's departure, and the current situation suggested that nothing significant had happened in Nanxiang during that time.
When Velo and his clansmen reached the entrance of the Nanxiang gathering place, an alarm bell sounded.
Soon, Huo Sheng and Bai Tianyu approached. Velo stepped forward with a smile, "Hello, I'm here again."
Huo Sheng held a favorable impression of Velo. If it were only Velo and Fala, he would have welcomed them warmly. However, the sight of the 99 Spirit Clansmen behind Velo gave him pause.
It wasn't a large group, but the implications were significant.
After a moment of thought, Huo Sheng maintained a polite facade. "Mr. Velo," he inquired, "may I inquire about the purpose of your visit this time?"
His tone was gentle, but the underlying rejection was clear. Kasim sighed inwardly. Putting aside whether these new generation tribulation transcenders could protect the Spirit Clan, their guardedness alone made the matter seem difficult to negotiate.
Velo, however, remained unfazed. He smiled and said, "A while ago, Mr. Lu mentioned wanting me to find some Origin Power Skills for him. So, here I am, bringing them."
As he spoke, he produced a pouch and opened it, revealing dozens of Origin Power Skill Inheritance Orbs within.
This made Huo Sheng hesitate.
Before he could say anything else, Velo continued, "I wonder if we can discuss this indoors?" He quickly added, "I'll go in alone."
Seeing this, Huo Sheng pondered for a moment, then nodded, giving a subtle glance to Bai Tianyu. The message was clear: Go find Lu Ming.
Regardless of the Spirit Clan's intentions, Huo Sheng would feel more at ease with Lu Ming present.
In the same room as their previous meeting, Velo opened the pouch, taking out the Inheritance Orbs one by one and introducing them to Lu Ming.
"This is Origin Energy Armor, capable of transforming into armor during battle to enhance one's defense."
"This is the Weapon Transformation Technique. It can transform Origin Power into various types of weapons and equipment."
"This is the Gale Blade."
"This is the Spirit Meridian Breathing Technique, which is more effective than the Basic Breathing Technique."
Despite their current decline, the Spirit Clan had once been glorious. Even in their weakened state, they still held onto their foundational skills and knowledge.
They were not lacking in low-level Origin Power Skills.
However, Lu Ming was indeed lacking in these...
Many of the Origin Power Skills made Lu Ming's eyes light up. There was no harm in having more skills. One Origin Power Skill might be equivalent to thousands of basic attributes for him.
When Velo finished speaking, Lu Ming's eyes were practically gleaming like light bulbs.
Turning to look at Huo Sheng, Lu Ming saw him nod slightly. "We'll take these."
After saying that, Huo Sheng looked at Velo with a burning gaze. "I wonder what Mr. Velo and your clansmen hope to gain from us."
Huo Sheng was not easily fooled. Velo's actions today clearly indicated that he was not just here to sell goods.
With Huo Sheng openly asking, Velo briefly contemplated and decided to tell the truth. He simply stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Ming and Huo Sheng.
"I hope that my fellow clansmen and I can find refuge here."
This left Huo Sheng speechless. "What virtue or ability do we possess?"
Velo merely looked at Lu Ming. The meaning was quite evident: You guys really can't do it.
However, Brother Lu was capable...
This made Huo Sheng sigh again. "Mr. Velo, it's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm genuinely afraid. The karmic consequences for you all are too significant. I can't shoulder it here."
Who were the enemies of the Spirit Clan? Who would find trouble with them? Huo Sheng had no idea.
Taking on this karmic burden recklessly could easily bring catastrophic disaster to Nanxiang. From Huo Sheng's perspective, he would rather forgo the offered Origin Power Skills than associate with the Spirit Clan.
Lu Ming wasn't foolish either. He understood the reasoning. Although he coveted the Origin Power Skills in Velo's possession, after some thought, he agreed with Huo Sheng's decision.
However, Velo remained calm and collected.
"Firstly," he began, his voice soft but firm, "we have no enemies. No one would actively seek out trouble with the Spirit Clan."
"Secondly," he continued, "what we need is a relatively safe territory nearby. If outsiders do come looking for trouble, you are free to turn us away without any resentment from us."
"Lastly," Velo concluded, "I think you may not fully grasp your own identities. If we're talking about karma, the karmic consequences for all of you far outweigh those of our Spirit Clan!"
Velo's final words left Huo Sheng speechless.
After a long silence, Huo Sheng spoke solemnly, "Please explain further, Mr. Velo."