Chapter 166: The Storm Approaches (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The scattered members of the Black Feather Tribe descended onto a huge city.
Their panicked and disheveled appearance formed a stark contrast against the giants walking around the city and the towering buildings.
As soon as they landed, the guards of the Giant Clan came over. Before the guards could speak, Apelo spoke with a solemn tone.
“I was once an adventurer alongside Prince Lie’s adventure team. My name is Apelo. Bring me to Prince Lie!”
Prince Lie was one of the overlords of this city.
Upon hearing the name Prince Lie, the guards did not dare to be neglectful. The message was relayed through various channels, and soon, Apollon’s group was escorted to a grand and towering palace.
The Giant Clan, being one of the major clans in the Black Mist Zone, was powerful and affluent. The decorations within the palace were incredibly luxurious, dazzling the Black Feather Tribe refugees.
However, Apelo and Ayu’s expressions were serious.
Upon reaching the deepest part of the palace and seeing the five-meter-tall giant seated on the throne with his upper body exposed, Apelo cried out on the spot!
“Big Brother! Big Brother! You have to uphold justice for me!”
The Giant Clan held a formidable reputation within the Black Mist Zone.
They were only slightly inferior to the Undead Clan and the Insect Clan, the top-tier powerful clans.
Beyond their strength, their generosity and loyalty were widely praised.
Looking at Apelo’s distressed appearance, Hao Lie’s heart ignited with nameless anger.
He suddenly slapped the armrest of the chair, startling the group of Black Feather Tribesmen present.
“Who! Who dares to bully my brother?!”
Hao Lie and Apollon had traveled together for ten years in their youth, developing a deep bond. Combined with the Giant Clan’s generous nature, Hao Lie’s excited outburst was understandable.
Apelo began to cry and sob, “It’s a monster, a new generation tribulation transcender…”
As soon as he finished speaking, Hao Lie frowned.
“A Tribulation Transcender!?”
“Yes!”
And just like that, the matter was no longer about their personal connection…
After a moment of contemplation, Hao Lei’s hearty demeanor faded, and he said in a deep voice, “I need to discuss this matter with my father.”
The journey was unceasing.
Seven days later, which marked the 73rd day of the Black Mist Calendar.
Velo and Fala were still a considerable distance from the clan’s gathering place.
The journey had been relatively uneventful.
That night, the two of them found a tree hollow to rest temporarily. In the middle of the night, Velo, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.
He swiftly got up from the grass bed and took a deep breath to clear his mind. He then took out a round pebble-like object resembling a goose egg from his pocket.
At this moment, this object was emitting a soft light.
Beside him, Fala also woke up groggily. When she saw the glowing egg-shaped object, she mumbled sleepily.
“There’s news from the clan?”
Velo replied, “Yeah.”
The thing in Velo’s hand was a communication stone, a precious item that allowed long-distance communication.
As one of the experts of the Spirit Clan, owning such an item wasn’t uncommon for Velo. At this late hour, the communication stone flickered to life. There must have been urgent news from the clan.
After injecting Source Power into the communication stone, the communication link was established. The first sentence that came through the stone left Vero stunned.
“There’s a crisis within the clan! Devastation is imminent! All clan members gather at the Spirit Realm Mountain!”
The Spirit Realm Mountain was not far from Velo’s current location.
Upon hearing news of the impending disaster, Velo and Fala obviously had no intention of continuing their sleep.
After briefly packing up, the two immediately set off. Three days later, they arrived at the Spirit Realm Mountain.
Inside a concealed cave within the Spirit Realm Mountain, Velo found the secure gathering point the clan had prepared.
He and Fala waited there for another five days.
Day 81 of the Black Mist Calendar.
Hundreds of Spirit Clan members carrying backpacks as if escaping from a calamity, arrived at the location in a sorry state.
Leading the way was the contemporary clan leader of the Spirit Clan, Kasim.
Kasim was slightly younger than Velo, but displayed an air of aged wisdom.
His strength was also slightly stronger than Velo’s, reaching Level 5 of the Physique Realm and was the strongest person in the current Spirit Clan.
At the secure meeting point, Velo learned the cause of the catastrophe from Kasim.
“A group of tribulation transcenders appeared near our gathering place, triggering a large-scale battle between the Undead Clan’s Chousen Sect and the Insect Clan.”
Given the Spirit Clan’s strength, they would not dare to get involved. Although they also wanted to use this opportunity to improve their clan’s standing within the Black Mist Zone, they could do little more than secretly bet or attempt to foster goodwill, much like Velo had done.
Anything more than that, they would not dare to do it.
However, there were some things that one could not avoid just because one did not do it.
The battle between the Chousen Sect and the Insect Clan had left carnage in its wake. Both the Undead Clan and the Insect Clan were ruthless, showing no concern for collateral damage.
In a battle a few days prior, the Spirit Clan had been unlucky enough to be drawn into the conflict between the two factions, as the battle unfolded not far from their gathering place…
This was the origin of the Spirit Clan’s impending downfall…
It was a bit comical and somewhat tragic when you thought about it.
This was the plight of the weak within the Black Mist Zone—subject to being swept away by some unexpected occurrence, potentially taking individuals or entire groups with it.
Understanding the cause and effect, Velo sighed deeply.
“So, there are only so few of us left?”
Kasim nodded, “Ninety-seven. Including you and Fala, ninety-nine people left, the entire surviving Spirit Clan.”
Velo pondered for a long time and asked, “Then what should we do next?”
Kasim’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.
His lips trembled for a moment before he looked up to the sky and sighed, “I don’t know either…”
Kasim truly did not know what path the clan should take in the future.
99 individuals, the entirety of the clan! But this population was simply too small.
Rebuilding would likely take several generations, and the harsh environment within the Black Mist Zone would not grant the Spirit Clan so much time for development.
In other words, the future of the Spirit Clan was bleak..
Surviving in some hidden, impoverished, and harsh corner, persisting.
Until one day, a passing powerful being or a mighty beast stumbled upon them… and then extinguished the last trace of Spirit Clan bloodline.
The future was dim.
The ending was likely to be tragic.
For a moment, Velo felt a wave of sorrow… but after careful consideration, he made a decision.
“Let’s seek refuge with another clan.”
Kasim shook his head pessimistically, “No one will shelter us.”
This was because the Spirit Clan had not established positive relations with other clans.
Even if they managed to seek refuge, the future for Spirit Clan members would likely be that of servitude, never to rise again.
However, Velo said, “No, there’s someone who can protect us.”
“Who?”
“The Tribulation Transcenders of this generation…”
Kasim was slightly stunned. Just as he was about to shake his head and say, ‘They’re really not strong enough,’ he heard Velo continue, “By the way, have you brought the Source Power Skills of the clan with you?”
Kasim said, “Yes, I have them.”
This was the foundation of the clan, something Kasim would not dare lose.
Velo heaved a sigh of relief, “That’s good. In that case, we’ll set off tomorrow morning immediately and head to Bear Mountain.”
“When we arrive, don’t say anything. Follow my instructions in everything..”