Translator: CinderTL
"The Serpentfolk tribes are gathering their forces again. We must find a way to stop them."
"How can we stop them? Those large tribes all have Saints guarding them. Unless the Corps Commander leads the charge, it would be a suicide mission."
"No, the spies within the Holy City haven't been cleared yet. The Corps Commander must protect the Holy City King's Hall and these walls. He cannot be moved lightly."
Behind the walls of the black fortress, inside a wooden hut in the flatland encampment.
The debate had been ongoing for days, yet no final decision had been reached.
"What about Lord Feng Chen?"
Someone asked, but the response was only a frustrated sigh.
Outsiders come and go quickly, only staying briefly. This has been an unchanging law since ancient times.
Molly stood awkwardly in the corner, feeling the weight of many gazes, especially on the small stone statue perched on her shoulder.
This was the only thing Lord Feng Chen had left behind, and it bore a striking resemblance to that sixth-tier Colossus Creature.
At first, everyone thought it was the Colossus itself, but after some probing, they found its power to be limited and ordinary.
With their illusions shattered, many believed that Lord Feng Chen would not be appearing anytime soon.
"We shouldn't have agreed to that deal in the first place."
Someone muttered in complaint, but they were quickly rebutted.
"If we hadn't agreed, would we have let that lord become our enemy?"
"And if Lord Feng Chen hadn't appeared at that time, how much greater would our losses have been? Need I say more?"
The complainer opened their mouth but didn't argue further.
Olon shook his head and looked at the woman sitting in the main seat.
She wore green vine armor and a white cloak.
Her long, curly brown hair framed a face in her thirties, marked with strange patterns resembling trees and flowers.
Lord Kali usually stayed within the Holy City. Why had she suddenly replaced Lord Yan Le to guard the walls?
The question arose, but it was quickly forgotten.
Whoosh!!
The small gray stone statue on Molly's shoulder suddenly flapped its stone wings and flew away.
Everyone was stunned, but Molly was the first to react. She lifted the tent flap and rushed out of the camp gate.
The vast expanse of brown dirt seemed to separate the inside from the outside, with the towering black walls standing tall.
Below them, a figure appeared, walking slowly towards them.
He wore a brown hemp robe, with black hair and eyes.
"Lord Feng Chen!!"
Molly exclaimed in delight. The elite warriors and patrol squads near the walls, who had noticed the anomaly, were also stunned, their expressions turning to fervor and reverence.
Whoosh!!
The palm-sized gray stone statue flew to Chen Feng's hand, nuzzling his palm affectionately.
Chen Feng smiled, gently stroking it for a moment before continuing his stride towards the encampment.
He had deliberately avoided this place when he left earlier.
Although the Holy City's attitude towards him, an outsider, was decent, he still didn't want to leave any obvious traces of his comings and goings.
"Lord Feng Chen!"
"It's Lord Feng Chen!!"
Voices rang out one after another, and many of the Holy City's elite followed Molly out of the encampment.
Two warriors Kalid a massive silver broadsword, standing in front of a silver-armored burly man, the fifth-tier commander and guard captain, Olon.
Members of the Thorn and Earth Rock Corps also gathered at the entrance, their eyes filled with surprise and curiosity.
"Lord Feng Chen."
Molly quickly stepped forward and greeted him respectfully. The small stone statue seemed to have taken a liking to her, as it flew back to perch on her shoulder.
"It seems you've been treating it well."
Chen Feng lowered his head and spoke, knowing that the small stone statue also had its own thoughts.
Apart from himself, whoever treated it well, it would grow closer to them.
"This is Master Feng Chen's companion, Molly dares not neglect it," Molly said with a hint of embarrassment, her brown eyes still bright.
Chen Feng nodded, then looked at the crowd outside the camp tent.
Olon and the others respectfully greeted him one after another, and finally, a female figure lifted the curtain, standing right outside the camp house.
She was clad in green vine armor and a white cloak, tall and slender.
The tree-like patterns on her face were particularly striking. When Chen Feng met her gaze, he could sense a powerful aura no less than that of Corps Commander Di Yan.
This was a sixth-order Saint.
"Kali, Thorn Legion Commander," the woman in green vine armor introduced herself calmly.
Chen Feng subtly glanced at the patterns on her face.
Most humans in this world did not have tattoos or totems unless they were half-serpentfolk tainted by Serpent Spirit Power.
"Feng Chen," Chen Feng nodded in acknowledgment, sensing no trace of Serpent Spirit-related aura from her.
"Your companion didn't come?" Kali got straight to the point, glancing at the empty space behind Chen Feng.
The others wore similar expressions, a mix of anticipation and tension.
Without answering, Chen Feng simply looked up at the sky.
He knew that the Holy Shield Colossus was the prerequisite for an equal transaction between both parties.
Whoosh! Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Kali was slightly startled, then saw a massive shadow appear on the ground.
Looking up again, a white-gray, gold-patterned colossus soared through the sky, circling among the clouds.
Everyone gazed intently, their expressions a mix of envy and admiration.
As related discussions reached his ears, Chen Feng withdrew his gaze and looked at the Thorn Legion Commander named Kali before him.
"It seems you've encountered some trouble."
"Coincidentally, I plan to visit the territory of the Serpentfolk tribe. Would this count as an intervention?" Chen Feng asked, and her eyes flickered.
The other fifth-order commanders of the Holy City had varied expressions, but most were somewhat excited, all turning their eyes to Kali.
Molly also looked expectant, the small stone statue on her shoulder tilting its head as well.
"Alright," Kali agreed straightforwardly.
Subsequently, the group hurriedly invited Chen Feng into the large tent of the camp to discuss the details.
Through the conversation, Chen Feng learned about the new situation the Holy City was facing.
Although the Black Blade Tribe and the Huorong Tribe had temporarily retreated, according to the scouts sent out, these two major tribes were not yet ready to give up.
Moreover, they had issued a war decree from the Serpent God Temple, preparing to once again command various large, medium, and small tribes to send warriors in response to the call.
This included the Silver Wood Tribe, one of the eight major tribes of the Serpent Spirit Continent.
"What do you need me to do?" Chen Feng inquired.
He intended to plunder the Serpent Spirit Fruit and didn't mind helping out with some tasks, thereby fulfilling his transaction promise with the Holy City.
"Strike at the confidence of the Serpentfolk tribes as much as possible, and prevent their alliance," Olon said solemnly inside the camp tent, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Everyone's gaze followed, and Kali, seated at the center, nodded lightly, the tree-like patterns on her face appearing quite mysterious.
"I know this request is difficult to fulfill."
"But it concerns the survival of the Holy City. You only need to delay the formation of their alliance as much as possible," she said, seeing things more clearly than Olon, understanding that even a sixth-order Saint could hardly stop such a tide.
Chen Feng nodded; delay sounded more realistic.
After some discussion, the Holy City decided to send people to cooperate with him, choosing to deal with the Serpentfolk tribes one by one or ambush them on the way, in order to weaken the confidence and strength of their alliance as much as possible.
Olon led a team of elite warriors, all of whom were strong individuals drawn from the three major corps.
In total, there were twenty-four third-tier warriors, six fourth-tier warriors, and one commander from the Thorn Corps who had just entered the fifth tier, especially skilled in healing others.
"Alright."
Chen Feng nodded without refusing.
Although it would be more convenient to act alone, there was no harm in using free subordinates.
Moreover, he knew that the Holy City was actually worried that he was only agreeing verbally.
"Master, I also want to contribute."
Molly suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone.
After all, everyone knew that this journey was quite dangerous, but she was so proactive.
"Master."
Molly pleaded, and Kali hesitated for a moment before looking at Chen Feng.
"Fine."
Chen Feng replied calmly, feeling that one more or one less person didn't matter.
"Then we'll leave it to you."
Kali entrusted, then gave each person a brown seed the size of a fingernail.
"I hope this can help you."
Buzz! A hazy green light bloomed as the brown seeds fell into everyone's palms.
Through his perception, Chen Feng could sense that they contained a strong vitality, similar to the feeling the Advanced Life Elixir gave him, but not exactly the same.
There wasn't a strong urge to consume it, so he guessed it was something born from consuming a certain power, without a true main ingredient.
"Let's go."
Without further delay, Chen Feng walked out of the camp tent.
Huge black-brown feathered eagles crouched on the ground, their auras ranging from the third to fourth tier. It was clear that the Holy City had some method of taming exotic beasts, as Olon and the others successively mounted the crouching eagles.
Whoosh! At that moment, a strong wind howled.
On the flat brown earthen ground, a shadow rapidly enlarged.
Everyone looked up to see the Silver-Gray Colossus swooping down, and the black-haired young man flashed onto its shoulder.
Then, everyone exchanged glances.
Determination, entrustment, resolve.
All the elite warriors in the camp solemnly saw them off, some waving, others with heavy hearts.
Finally, the Silver-Gray Colossus took the lead, followed closely by the many Flying Eagle Beasts.
The soldiers on the black city walls looked up with hopeful expressions, and many eyes from the Holy City watched as the figures gradually disappeared into the distance.
"I hope they can return safely."
Whoosh!
The wind blew against their faces as the green swamp appeared at the end of the brown ground.
The green seemed endless, and Chen Feng could sense malicious gazes peering from below.
"I'll handle it!"
Someone spoke up, a fourth-tier expert from the Falcon Corps.
Clad in silver armor with a strong build.
Drawing his bow and nocking arrows, several arrows shot through the air, then split mid-flight into dozens of streaks of light.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
The sound of rapid arrows cutting through the air was followed by the thud of flesh being pierced.
With a single strike, the hidden Serpentfolk scouts were hit in vital spots and fell to the ground.
"I'll join in!"
Others also sensed the strangeness of the green swamp, knowing that many Serpentfolk sentries were hidden.
Arrows shot through the air, but Chen Feng didn't act, merely glancing at everyone with curiosity.
The awakening method of the Holy City is an alternative path of martial arts, and it has indeed carved out its own unique characteristics.
By combining visualization elements, one can acquire some peculiar abilities.
For instance, most members of the Falcon Corps visualize the wind attribute.
Their perception is quite sharp, as if they can detect anomalies nearby through the breeze.
There are also significant enhancements in areas like archery.
"No need to waste energy. The Serpentfolk are cunning; there are surely still serpents lurking here."
"We just need to keep moving forward."
Olon suddenly spoke up, reminding everyone to conserve their energy for the actions to come.
Chen Feng agreed, as continuing like this would be too time-consuming.
"Let's head straight to the Silver Wood Tribe."
He spoke up, having already reviewed the map prepared by Molly and the others.
The Serpentfolk have many tribes. Besides the eight major tribes, there are also numerous small and medium-sized tribes.
Most medium-sized tribes can only produce fourth-tier powerhouses, with a few strong ones having fifth-tier.
Moreover, only tribes of this level are qualified to cultivate the Serpent Spirit Tree.
The Silver Wood Tribe they were heading to was one of them.
Hundreds of kilometers away, it was a vassal of the Black Blade Tribe.
"Yes!"
Olon nodded and issued the command.
The Flying Eagle beast slightly turned in mid-air, and the group immediately headed northeast.
Witnessing this, the Serpentfolk hiding in the Green Marsh all stopped their movements and quickly used various means to send messages and leave.
The lurking shadows disappeared in a crisscross pattern. Chen Feng retracted his perception and looked at Olon.
Everyone nodded, and after breaking out of the Green Marsh, they soon turned and rushed northwest.
The wind howled along the way. Chen Feng, wearing the thinnest linen robe, stood out starkly from the others in their armor.
The group was unusually silent, the atmosphere solemn and heavy.
The terrain below gradually changed, with occasional hills, barren lands, and scattered rivers.
Crack!
In a green grassland.
A whip lashed out. A brown-haired woman in tattered linen clothes, disheveled and sitting on the ground, clenched her teeth, not daring to make a sound.
Her face was pale, her lips cracked.
Looking at her back, her skin was festering, with visible flesh wounds.
Blood continuously dripped, surrounded by large patches of bruises and purplish-red marks.
"A bunch of Lowly Ones without the Serpent Spirit Blessing. Tomorrow, I want to see the firewood chopped and the livestock fed."
"And the Master's house—if it's not completed within seven days, this will be your best outcome!"
Crack! Amid the curses, the whip lashed out repeatedly.
A half-Serpentfolk, with a human male appearance but some snake scales on his body, continued to berate.
The whip, with small barbs, pierced the flesh with each lash, causing bone-chilling pain.
The beaten woman trembled, numbly holding the child in her arms, not daring to make a sound.
Looking around.
This was a fenced yard with several wooden huts, most still under construction, without roofs, doors, or windows.
Chopped firewood was piled nearby, and livestock in a nearby shed chewed on fresh, tender grass, watching the scene.
Their eyes reflected more ragged linen-clad people kneeling around, both men and women, numbly kneeling in two rows, listening to the sound of the whip, not daring to resist.
Lowly Ones.
Born without the Serpent Spirit Blessing, destined to never obtain the Serpent Spirit Power, they were ordinary people.
A lifetime destined to be a slave in the Serpentfolk tribe, toiling away chopping wood and feeding cattle and sheep. Such a life. There was a young boy who gritted his teeth in resentment, but could only keep his head down, hiding his hate-filled eyes.
As if sensing something, the cracking whip ceased its sound.
A half-Serpentfolk with several serpent scales cast a glance, slightly frowning.
The boy's heart trembled, clearly seeing the shadow on the ground before him spreading, getting closer and closer.
Cold sweat dripped down his face, a critical moment.
"A'Ge, come out for a moment."
"Huh?"
The half-Serpentfolk man holding the whip was slightly startled, then saw a middle-aged man at the entrance of the fenced courtyard.
The man had more serpent scale marks on his body than he did, and a flattering smile immediately appeared on his face. He quickly nodded and walked out.
The atmosphere relaxed, and the boy dared to look up.
"Captain Rong Li, thank you for coming personally."
"Hmm."
"I still have some treasured wine at my place, you must help me taste it."
The half-Serpentfolk man named A'Ge walked away, his flattering voice continuously ringing out.
The woman who had been whipped earlier trembled, her robe stained with blood, her back a festering mess.
Beads of sweat the size of beans continuously dripped from her body, the child in her arms looked up with tears, mouth trembling.
The woman's face was pale, constantly shaking her head to signal the child not to make a sound.
Her breath grew weaker and weaker, her body swaying as if about to collapse.
Everyone saw it, but could only kneel in place, not daring to move an inch.
Time passed, minute by minute.
The boy clenched his fists in frustration, clearly seeing the woman collapse, her breathing growing weaker.
"Mother!! Mother!!"
The protected child cried out loudly, the boy gritted his teeth wanting to stand up, but was quickly pulled back by his dust-covered companion beside him, who shook his head urgently.
Angry eyes met, he insisted on standing up.
But.
Tap! "You want to save her?"
A mocking voice suddenly rang out, a shadow enveloping his vision.
The ragged boy widened his eyes and turned to see the half-Serpentfolk man who had left earlier had somehow returned to the courtyard, standing beside him.
His face flushed, reeking of alcohol.
But those narrowed eyes were like serpent pupils, exuding a piercing coldness and cruelty.
"It seems you Lowly Ones are really restless."
"Since you want to save her, then join her."
A cold voice, the whip swung down fiercely.
The cruel gaze was like ice from the depths of hell, the boy's face filled with despair, as if falling into an icy abyss.
Whoosh!!! The next moment, the sound of an arrow pierced the air.
The expected pain did not come, an arrow riding the wind was faster than the swinging whip.
Thud!!
The half-Serpentfolk man collapsed, the arrow piercing through his back, emerging from his left chest.
Blood continuously spilled, the boy looked at the fallen body in disbelief, others also puzzled, then looked up.
Dozens of massive Flying Eagle beasts with black-brown feathers hovered above, their backs to the sky, as if level with the clouds.
Silver Armor Warriors maintained their bow-drawing stance, their appearance completely human, without any trace of Serpent Spirit.
At the center, surrounded by the Flying Eagle beasts, was a distinct white-gray stone-winged giant, on whose shoulder sat a youth in linen clothing, dressed similarly to them.
As if glancing at them, the youth's gaze towards the entire Serpentfolk tribe grew increasingly indifferent.
"Leave none alive."
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c396. [+4.5k Words]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.
💥Flat 30% Discount on All Tiers Available Till 26th July, Use Code 3KCHAPTERS to Avail.
If you want to support me, consider becoming a patron, or you can also help me for FREE by giving this book powerstones, reviews, comments and recommendations.