After Enzo issued his command, the combat team immediately concealed themselves in the jungle.

The Huge Silver Backed Bear attempted to follow, but was intercepted by Enzo, who threatened, “Betta, stay here. Otherwise, you can kiss that power goodbye for good.”

Ow…

The bear roared weakly, then slumped to the ground.

Observing this, Clara remarked, “Without your help in stimulating its power, this bear could become an extraordinary creature within ten years. Its current level of intelligence is truly exceptional.”

“Ten years? That long?” Enzo was taken aback.

Clara, feeling resigned, chuckled in exasperation. If she didn’t know that Enzo was genuinely ignorant about certain tribal knowledge, she would have thought he was teasing her. She quipped, “What else? The advancement of extraordinary creatures has always been a lengthy process. Ten years is actually considered short. Compared to humans, beasts have much longer lifespans.”

“And even for humans, becoming a totem warrior is no easy feat.”

“In addition to obtaining the essence of extraordinary creatures, the consolidation of the totemic fire is even more challenging. Even for large tribes like the Golden Oak, they can only consolidate a totemic fire once a year at most.”

As Clara spoke, the others were enlightened.

But Enzo’s expression was peculiar.

He remembered vividly how he had used the essence of the Boar King to heal Tia and transform her into a totem warrior. At that time, the tribal fire in the stone brazier had been completely converted into the fire of the totem, with a consumption equivalent to at least a hundred people’s worth, although the exact amount was unclear.

This… was not as difficult as Clara had described.

Excluding the influence of the Crimson Star Tribe, it could only have been himself. Or rather, it was because the awakened leaf totem was too special. After all, during the communication and inheritance of consciousness, the leaf totem was colorful.

Enzo had a sudden realization.

At that moment, Clara, who was leading the way, raised her hand to signal the others to slow down.

She spoke softly, “We are almost there.”

Enzo raised his head and saw a patch of bamboo forest not far away.

The group became even more cautious, refraining from making any noise.

Their infiltration into the Venom Tribe was not to provoke conflict, but simply to obtain a piece of bamboo or a bamboo whip. However, in many cases, unexpected occurrences were unpredictable.

Of course, Amy’s presence meant that dangerous accidents could be avoided.

…

Venom Tribe.

The silver-haired maiden swiftly made her way to the center of the marsh, where a bamboo raft was located, and tearfully confided in an elderly woman, “Grandmother, I’ve lost Betta!”

The elderly woman was none other than Ms. Lucy, the Priest of the Venom Tribe.

In contrast to the Crimson Star Tribe, the Venom Tribe was smaller in scale, consisting of just over fifty members, with the majority being women and only a few men.

Upon hearing the silver-haired maiden’s words, Ms. Lucy gently reassured, “Jessica, it’s alright.”

She then closed her eyes and, after a moment of subtle perception, instructed a fellow female tribesperson, “Rita, go to the bamboo forest and welcome the esteemed guests.”

Rita’s eyes flickered with surprise as she rose and made her way towards the bamboo forest.

Meanwhile, Jessica wore an expression of distress as she anxiously inquired, “Grandmother, how could they possibly come to the bamboo forest?”

Ms. Lucy removed a inconspicuous small leaf pouch from Jessica’s person, and upon opening it, revealed a packet of pale yellow powder, with a subtle fragrance that, after special training, could be acutely detected.

Jessica realized her mistake and felt deep regret.

Lucy did not blame Jessica. Since their relocation to this marshland, Jessica had not had much contact with people outside of the Venom Tribe, and this was not entirely her fault.

Furthermore, Jessica was not only her granddaughter, but also the next in line to become the Priest of the Venom Tribe.

In the selection of a Priest, the Venom Tribe followed unique traditions.

With the position being held by a female and the Priest’s power being passed down by bloodline.

…

In the bamboo forest.

Enzo carefully extracted bamboo whips, while Tia and the others remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings.

Just as they finished their extraction and were preparing to leave, Rita emerged and called out to them, “Honored guests, Priest Lucy requests your presence.”

Enzo, feeling a bit perplexed, turned to Amy for guidance.

Amy shook her head and remarked, “I don’t sense any danger.”

Upon hearing this, Enzo replied to Rita, “Then please lead the way.”

Since the other party had discovered them and extended such courtesy, there was no need to hastily refuse. Perhaps this was an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the Venom Tribe.

Under Rita’s guidance, Enzo and the others entered the Venom Tribe’s camp.

The camp was situated at the edge of the marsh, with several bamboo huts and a vast expanse of bamboo rafts that formed a flat surface on the marsh.

In addition, there were various bamboo crafts that left Tia and the others in awe.

However, Enzo’s mind was occupied with another question.

From the way the Venom Tribe conducted themselves, they did not resemble the other tribes’ barbaric nature, but rather appeared to be a powerful tribe with a well-established civilization and their own knowledge heritage.

The meeting with Priest Lucy confirmed Enzo’s suspicions.

As they arrived at the marsh bamboo raft and sat on bamboo chairs, Lucy instructed her tribespeople to serve some foraged wild fruits and smiled as she addressed Enzo and the others, “Esteemed guests, please sample our speciality, a product of the Venom Tribe.”

Enzo nodded slightly, and then curiously asked, “Priest Lucy, what is your request for us?”

The silver-haired girl Jessica answered first, “Of course, it’s to ask you to return Betta!”

“That Huge Silver Backed Bear?” Enzo shrugged, and continued, “I’m sorry, but it’s not me forcing it, it’s willing to follow me, even if I can’t force it to come back.”

“You’re lying!” Jessica exclaimed in frustration.

Priest Lucy immediately admonished, “Jessica, no rudeness allowed!”

After the reprimand, she looked at Enzo for a good while before praising, “In the barren mountain, there are few outstanding individuals like you.”

Upon hearing Lucy mention the barren mountain, Enzo became interested.

In the Crimson Star Tribe, hardly anyone knew of the term “the barren mountain.” Many people had lived for generations in a narrow area, and only Sovita, the former priest, had some knowledge about the deeds of the Crimson Star Tribe from the inheritance of priest knowledge. According to the descriptions, it should still be within the area of the barren mountain.

However, Lucy’s tone suggested that she had been to areas beyond the barren mountain.

So, Enzo asked directly.

Lucy did not conceal this matter and said directly, “I did come from a place outside the barren mountain, it’s called the archipelago. Beyond the archipelago is the blue sea. Apart from the blue sea, there are also other vast areas, deserts, ancient forests, mountains, giant beast basins… The world is vast, and what I know is just a part of it.”

Saying this, Lucy stood up and rummaged through a nearby bamboo box, pulling out a bundle of neatly trimmed bamboo pieces.

The bamboo pieces were inscribed with characters.

Tia, Clara, and Amy all stood up, extremely excited.

Clara, being the most knowledgeable, couldn’t help but speculate, “Priest Lucy, could this be the script of the barren mountain?”

Lucy nodded and said, “Indeed, these are the scripts of the Barren Mountain. Legend has it that the Barren Mountain was once the territory of a powerful tribe, but later the tribe perished, and many of their legacies disappeared. However, some scripts were passed down and are still used by many tribes. The writings in my hands document some of the history of the Barren Mountain tribe. If, Enzo, you agree to help me, I can give these things to you and teach you the script of the Barren Mountain.”

Upon hearing this, Jessica became anxious, “Grandmother, he is not a good person!”

Priest Lucy paid no attention to Jessica, but fixed her gaze on Enzo.

Something was amiss.

Enzo didn’t hastily agree, but instead asked, “So, Priest Lucy, what is the price?”

Priest Lucy smiled and replied, “There is no price, and it’s even a good thing for you. I hope you can impregnate Jessica. As long as she is pregnant, I can offer a more generous reward!”

Jessica was stunned, incredulous.

Enzo was also taken aback and asked, “Priest Lucy, are you joking?”

Priest Lucy stood up, her eyes emitting a faint golden light.

Despite her advanced age, she exuded an aura of authority at that moment and addressed Enzo, “I have led my people from the archipelago to the Barren Mountain and have encountered many young people and priests from various tribes. Among them, many possess extraordinary talents. Jessica’s mother, who combined with the most outstanding totem warrior of the Golden Oak Tribe, gave birth to Jessica. Her talent surpasses that of her mother and even mine.”

“However, the talents of these individuals, including my own, are far inferior to yours.”

“Because the powerful force you possess is not the inheritance of a priest, but rather—a totem!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep