Chapter 413: Chapter 412: Return to the Surface
Angie’s loyalty would definitely require a formal contract to seal.
After the swamp ants spoke for them, the two centaurs learned that the human world had also undergone radical changes. The Path of Knight Cultivation had long declined, replaced by the more formidable sorcerers.
The strong human before them was first a Level 3 Sorcerer, and then a knight.
“Angie, why don’t you think it over again?” asked the elder.
“Elder, I will not regret this,” Angie replied, appearing indifferent to the elder’s persuasion.
Following Ivan’s instructions, the two signed a contract, and from then on, she belonged to Ivan.
…
Shortly after, Ivan effortlessly eliminated the stubborn plague from her body and healed her wounds, allowing her to recover quickly.
Stunned by this, Angie couldn’t help but be impressed, convinced she had followed the right person.
Upon her earnest request, Ivan also healed Elder Saul.
After the healing, the two centaurs understood why sorcerers had replaced knights in the human ranks; every sign indicated that the means of the sorcerers were indeed more ingenious and superior.
The next day, Saul left alone.
According to him, he was old and did not have many years left to live.
Now, he would rather be buried underground than go to the surface. Since Angie was set on going, he could only bless her and try to send the news back to his tribe.
“Stone spirits?”
“Uh-huh, becoming a stone spirit worshipped by our tribe allows one to eventually gain our famous ‘Giant Stone Armors.’ Sirs, what do you think?” Feyn and Bar from the Stone Tail Tribe came knocking that afternoon, revealing their long-held intention.
Their somewhat secretive behavior was actually an attempt to invite the swamp ant to become their contracted stone spirit.
A “stone spirit” is akin to a guardian beast or a tribal totem.
Once the swamp ant became a stone spirit, it could receive power feedback from the Stone Tail Tribe. After a certain period, according to the tribe’s rules, it could even obtain the famous Giant Stone Armors.
Hearing Bar’s words, the flame scorpion appeared eager to try, but the swamp ant itself showed little reaction.
“Tell me your reasons for choosing the swamp ant; I want the truth,” Ivan said, speaking for it given its silence.
“The fit of abilities. Our tribe’s racial ability is ‘turning rock into mud.’ If the respected swamp ant becomes our stone spirit, our people’s abilities in this area will surely advance by leaps and bounds, thus gradually realizing the growth and rise of our tribe,” Bar reluctantly admitted.
Ivan understood. Plainly put, the Stone Tail Tribe would also gain power feedback and enhancement; it was a ‘win-win’ situation.
However, if the swamp ant became the stone spirit of the Stone Tail Tribe, it would inevitably have to get involved in the tribe’s internal conflicts, a troublesome affair.
“Swamp ant, what do you think?”
“Please allow me to refuse. I have absolutely no interest in becoming your tribe’s stone spirit.”
Faced with the eager gazes of Feyn and Bar, the swamp ant decisively chose to refuse.
Its reasoning was simple: the power feedback from the Stone Tail Tribe was an exceptionally slow process, let alone how long it would take to receive the Giant Stone Armors.
That was far inferior to following Sorcerer Ivan.
With Sorcerer Ivan, not to mention acquiring higher-level Insect Breathing Methods, Ivan would help plan future cultivation paths and seek suitable cultivation resources. That was much better than laboriously becoming a stone spirit.
Of course, these words were not suitable to be spoken out loud, as they would damage its dignity.
“Sir, even if you were a stone spirit of our tribe, you wouldn’t need to stay here for long; you—” Feyn hurriedly tried to persuade it when he heard it.
“No need to say more. I resolutely refuse to become your tribe’s stone spirit,” the swamp ant sternly stated.
Hearing this, Feyn still did not give up, but Bar secretly tugged at him, then they left together.
“Swamp ant boss, why didn’t you agree to such a prestigious offer?” the flame scorpion asked, puzzled, after they left.
“There’s no particular reason; it’s just troublesome,” the swamp ant vaguely responded.
In the council hall, Ivan shifted his attention from the previous matter and turned to look at the silent Elder Treeman Meg.
Meg had become a temporary guard because he had traveled through the underground labyrinth of molten layers, and now that the underground issues were concluding, his task as a guard was also ending.
“Meg, it’s time for us to part. What are your plans moving forward?”
“Plans? I intend to go to the seventh layer underground.” Meg was startled and replied somewhat reflexively.
“So, after we leave, do you plan to stay in the Westernmost Land of the West or go to other realms?” Ivan asked, slightly exasperated.
“Ah!” Meg finally understood, feeling somewhat reluctant. Although he had acted as a guard these days, he had barely done much actual guarding, and it felt like he had been taken out for a leisurely journey.
Ivan couldn’t deny it.
He actually suspected that the Level 4 Tree people within the temple and the royal court were all “War Ancient Trees,” which were either born from Divine Power or were similar to “Stone Spirits.”
This detail did not affect the old Tree people, and if Meg wanted to go, he would not stop her.
Three days later, Ivan led a group of people away from Pan Ti Mountain and left the Westernmost Land.
Halfway through their journey, they had to say goodbye to Meg, as their paths diverged; they were headed to the Eastern Region and Meg to the Southern Region.
“Sorcerer Ivan, Brother Swamp Ant, Brother Flame Scorpion, ah—take care.”
“Hold on, Meg, I have a small gift for you.”
“What?”
“Check it out when you’re interested, just to alleviate your boredom.”
Ivan had entrusted Meg with a letter to deliver to Jenny, and at the moment of parting, he also handed her an item.
It was nothing rare; it was just a beginner’s Meditation Method involving wood and earth elements, especially prepared for Tree people. If Meg took an interest in cultivation, there was a decent chance she could become a Level 1 Sorcerer.
This was more of a shot in the dark; Meg was an honest Tree person, suitable for teaching meditation methods as a trial.
Then, they parted ways with Meg, as they needed to traverse the underground maze of the Eastern Region to return to the surface.
…
Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, the first layer of the Molten River was particularly bustling.
Ivan had not expected their luck to be so poor; they had dodged the white molten lava of the third layer and avoided the dangers of the second layer dominated by golden molten lava, but it was in the most outer first layer where they encountered a group of molten creatures.
One of the molten creatures had even seen through their disguise, recognizing that the lava boat transformed by the Flame Scorpion was not a fellow creature.
“Flame Scorpion, don’t tangle with them, quickly shake them off.”
“Yes, I know.”
This was the Flame Scorpion’s second time crossing the lava layers; after the previous journey through the underground world, it had become much steadier.
However, it was internally cursing nonstop, damn lava hounds, why must their noses be so sensitive, and all they do is retreat and call for reinforcements, utterly ridiculous.
“Roar—”
“Kill, kill, kill! Strangle the foreign creatures.”
Flame Scorpion put in all its effort to navigate through the lava, followed closely by the relentless molten creatures behind it. These varied and ferocious molten creatures were baying for blood.
Nearby, many molten creatures, alerted to the commotion, were rushing toward them.
Ivan and his group knew, the longer they lingered in the lava, the more perilous their situation would become—it wasn’t the group of molten creatures behind them they feared, but the potential sudden appearance of a molten overlord.
Should a molten overlord indeed appear, surrounded by molten lava, their situation would become extremely dire.
At that moment, the priority was to hasten their exit from the area filled with lava.
“There’s the tunnel ahead.”
“Well done, keep going, but don’t let your guard down in the tunnel either.”
The lava boat, transformed by the Flame Scorpion, was commendable in speed, especially in the lava. Being chased by numerous molten creatures, it was exceptionally swift, quickly crossing the first layer to reach the tunnel ahead.
The tunnel was filled with lava; its relatively narrow terrain didn’t allow many creatures to pass at once, which was safer than being in the layer.
“Alright!”
Encouraged by Ivan’s words, the Flame Scorpion hurried forward in the tunnel.
Perhaps their bad luck was used up. Thanks to Flame Scorpion’s extraordinary speed and Ivan’s precise guidance, they journeyed without much risk and smoothly arrived back at the Molten River.
With a thunderous roar, the lava boat leapt from the bright orange-red river and landed on the ground by the riverbank.
“Phew! Exhilarating, I—-”
The Flame Scorpion hadn’t had many chances to exert itself before, and at that moment, it was feeling very refreshed.
However, its words were cut off midway as it almost choked on them.
The Flame Scorpion saw a dark golden molten face rapidly forming on the surface of the lava river. The face, almost as tall as two men, gazed at them sternly and imposingly.
Not again!
Unlike the last time, this dark gold face was awake, its eyes gleaming brightly.
Under the gaze of this dark gold face, Ivan and his group stiffened, feeling oddly overheated. They never imagined that after reaching land, they would be caught up by the molten overlord.
“So, not Dark Elves, this aura—it’s the deceitful human sorcerers,” the dark gold face mockingly observed the group, its gaze finally settling on Ivan.
In that moment, the pressure on Ivan increased significantly.
His mind raced, continuously parsing the information in the words, hoping to find a proper way to escape.