Chapter 266: Chapter 258: The Rite of New Birth

In Mushroom Garden No. 3.

The shadows of the Demon Race had dwindled, and Xiao Hai finally dared to leave her little nest without worrying that someone would covet her Bright Crystal anymore.

At this moment, she was sitting on the ground with her tail in her arms, watching intently at the two people engaged in battle not far away.

Norris wasn’t piloting Puki, and his opponent was the Vampire Louisa.

Relying on his nimble stature, Norris kept changing directions as he attacked Louisa, occasionally using [Stepping in the Air] to alter his path mid-air, but he was entirely blocked by Louisa with a constantly transforming blood whip.

While fighting, Louisa pointed out Norris’s problems: “This jump of yours, aside from allowing you to use Stepping in the Air, is meaningless, the intent is too obvious. Against an opponent with combat experience, even if they don’t understand your abilities, seeing you jump like this, they would still be on alert!”

“Your Stepping in the Air is not some powerful Talent, to catch your opponent off guard, you need to use it more cautiously and conceal your intentions better.”

Another whip knocked Norris aside, and Louisa narrowed her eyes slightly.

[Petrification Beam Level 4]

Crack—

However, Norris’s [Magic Resistance Level 6] rendered the effect less ideal, merely chipping off a scale, causing no substantial impact on his movements.

But Norris, feeling something odd on his knee, glanced instinctively.

The next second, the blood whip wrapped around Norris’s neck, bringing this training session to a close.

“In combat, fear of injury should be avoided; defeating the enemy quickly is the best protection for yourself. Moreover… actual flight abilities would suit this Skill best…”

While speaking, Louisa hooked Norris’s chin and then leaned in to bite his neck.

Norris did not resist, this was the agreed-upon reward.

Nearby, Xiao Hai pouted, flinging a half-petrified, no longer Bright Crystal-like scale onto the ground, marking another day without gaining a Bright Crystal.

Meanwhile, in the five-level Swamp, a Green Mushroom that had watched the entire process frequently nodded its mushroom cap.

Louisa certainly lived up to being a Vampire that could ascend to Viscount, her analysis was thorough and enlightening, even Lin Jun felt she had benefited greatly.

Once those are mastered, combined with great micro-management skills, it won’t be impossible for Knight Puki to solo a Sword Saint in the future!

Lin Jun’s combat awareness +1.

…

On the Demon Race’s side, the atmosphere within the tribe was different than before.

Once Shou directed the tribesmen to carry the Fat Worm to the outside of the “cradle” of the Black Stone House, all the Demon Race members put down what they were doing.

Like responding to a silent call, they all spontaneously gathered in the open area near the cradle.

They didn’t make noise, they just stood or squatted silently, yet their gaze without exception was directed towards the heavy closed stone door.

All the Demon Race members eagerly awaited the birth of a new clan member.

The gradual decline of the Stone Castle Dungeon had made tribal life increasingly difficult, one sign being that the frequency of holding birth rituals had decreased, finally resulting in no new clan member being born for over half a year.

And now, the long-awaited birth ceremony seemed to signify a new beginning for the tribe, bearing extraordinary significance!

Inside the Black Stone House, Xing Huo took a deep breath and carefully checked the Array beneath him to ensure no accident occurred.

In the past, the birth rituals were hosted by elders, and he only assisted from the side. Although he was familiar with the process, hosting it personally for the first time, the significant meaning of this occasion made him extra cautious.

Fortunately, everything was normal.

Xing Huo, carrying a stone bowl and a file, came out to Shou.

Shou took the file, opened his garment, and scraped a bit of powder from the Demon Core on his chest into the stone bowl.

Then Xing Huo moved to the next person…

This was part of the ceremony called “Sacrificial Dust”, symbolizing the new clan member’s close connection to everyone in the tribe, a step where symbolic meaning outweighed actual effect.

Going around once, Lin Jun, who was secretly observing, nearly died of boredom.

Next came the main event.

Under Xing Huo’s instruction, several Demon Race members placed the Fat Worm onto the sub-array extended from the cradle.

As the Warriors jointly dug open the resilient outer skin of the Fat Worm, accompanied by the Fat Worm’s final struggles, the Array beneath suddenly lit up!

The Fat Worm’s Life Force was continuously drained; it wanted to escape but was firmly held down by the Warriors.

Inside the Stone House, Xing Huo guided the Array with both hands, gathering strands of condensed, tangible Life Energy in his palms.

Imitating the past elders, Xing Huo extracted the deep blue light mist representing [Cold Resistance] separately.

He first injected the remaining Life Energy into the cradle, the broken Demon Core and dust constantly shattered and reformed, eventually condensing into a complete, brand-new Demon Core.

Life Energy surged into the Demon Core, with it as the center, flesh gradually grew.

As much as two hours later, a nude, youth-like Demon Race member appeared by the cradle.

The new clan member was already born, now just one last step—engraving the Demon Pattern!

This step could only be completed at birth, a Demon Race member lacking a Demon Pattern was incomplete.

Perhaps survival was possible for such an incomplete Demon Race member in the Empire, but in the Far North, failure to engrave [Cold Resistance] meant inevitable death.

So Xing Huo didn’t relax at all; he guided the previously separated deep blue Life Energy with both hands, and began etching along the inherent pattern of the Demon Race member.

Right at this critical moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Zzlaa—!

The brilliance of the Array flickered intensely a few times and then paused abruptly, gradually dimming.

Insufficient Magic Power?

Why?!

This Array had always been maintained by absorbing ambient Magic in the underground, he had checked it, and the Array clearly had no problems!

There was no time to think further, he hurried the process of engraving the Demon Pattern.

The Array was still barely functioning.

He just needed to be fast, to finish before the Array went completely dim…

…

The magic light inside the Stone House, which had never extinguished, suddenly went out, and Shou, standing closest, was the first to notice the change, a bad premonition lingered in his heart.

Shou wanted to go in to see what was happening but feared that barging in unexpectedly might worsen the situation.

In the end, he could only force himself to stay put, anxiously awaiting the result.

Soon, even the other tribe members a bit further away noticed something was off, and the sound of discussions grew louder.

Amidst the worry of all the Demon Race members, Xing Huo staggered out.

At this moment, Xing Huo was as pale as paper, his steps unsteady, like he had exhausted all his strength to support his body, struggling awake from a nightmare, barely holding up with hands resting on the edge of the cold stone door.

His normally focused and calm eyes were now filled with confusion and deep sorrow.

Shou had already guessed the answer, but he still asked with difficulty: “What happened? The new clan member…”

Xing Huo closed his eyes in pain, and when he reopened them, they held an unshakeable regret: “The Array… Magic Power supply was interrupted, the Demon Pattern… couldn’t be completed… Chief, I messed up!”

“How… could this happen…”

Failing to complete the engraving was worse than failing to give birth to a new clan member!

Because it meant watching a newly born clan member freeze to death right in front of everyone!

Undoubtedly, this failure would severely crush the recently revived confidence of the members.

But as the Tribal Chief, Shou couldn’t show hesitation!

Shou closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said: “Xing Huo, go figure out what caused the interruption in Magic Power, and I’ll… go calm the members…”

At this moment, a voice that shouldn’t have appeared here suddenly echoed in Shou’s mind:

“Ahem… excuse me… sorry to interrupt, but I might… be able to help…”

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