Du Xie’s voice, which was filled with the vicissitudes of life, reverberated in the small room. Du Lingxuan’s eyes did not blink as he stared at the old man with curiosity.
When the voice reverberated, the world fell silent. Only the seemingly unremarkable action was left.
The old man raised his right hand, and his old and withered fingers grabbed at the air. In the blink of an eye, the turtle shells that were covered with runes were squeezed in his palm.
Following that, the lights emitted by the runes on the turtle shells faded, and a faint yellow light appeared. It was slightly dilapidated as if it could crumble at any moment, but there was also a mysterious and indescribable transcendence intent that reverberated in the air.
“Pry!” As the old man spoke, the 6 turtle shells began to shake violently as if they were supported by a mysterious force. They quietly hung in the air, emitting a faint yellow light.
The old man waved both his hands outward at the same time. His eyes were like a sea of stars. He sighed and said, “It’s actually… The sign of a great calamity approaching.”
With a casual wave of his long sleeve, the 6 turtle shells disappeared into thin air.
Du Lingxuan’s expression was slightly grave. He asked softly, “What great calamity?”
The old man’s finger gently tapped on the center of his eyebrows, and he cursed, “You want to ask about astrology and divination before you’ve even matured. Some divinations can’t be said. Once you say something you shouldn’t, the sky will change drastically. Winter thunderbolts will sound in the summer, and red mists will appear in the sky, indicating that something bad is about to happen. Divination is a heaven-defying act. It’s all about not saying everything by saying half and hiding half. Besides, it can’t be done completely so as to not burn all the bridges.”
Du Lingxuan nodded as if he understood something, but he did not continue asking.
All of a sudden, a series of urgent knocks could be heard on the door.
Du Lingxuan chuckled and said, “I’ll go and open the door.” His voice was still echoing, but he had taken a big step and slid out. He arrived at the wooden door and carefully opened it.
With a creak, the door opened, but only a tiny bit of sunlight scattered in.
This was because a giant of 10 meters tall had blocked the wooden door completely. His skin was rough, and his profile was distinct. There were 3 faint star marks between his eyebrows, but they could not be compared to the ones on the Ancient Shamans, so they appeared very dim. Veins popped out on his body like squirming green insects. An imposing aura swept out despite him not being furious. Clearly, this giant’s status in the Shaman Tribe was not low.
After all, the 3 star marks had shown his identity and strength. No one dared to underestimate him in this place.
The man bowed and walked toward the old man but stayed a distance away. He said in a low voice, “Clan Master, something big has happened.”
“Hmm?” Du Xie looked over and gestured for him to continue.
The man sorted out his thoughts in his head. After a long while, he continued softly, “Someone from the Qiongqi Clan wishes to have a detailed discussion with you!”
“The Qiongqi Clan?” Du Xie stopped what he was doing and stood up from his chair. It was obvious that this news had surprised him.
“Yes.” The 10-meters-tall giant nodded.
“Hmph, back then, the Ancient Shamans dominated the world for countless years and suppressed the heavens. They had plenty of vassal races under their command, and those races swore an oath to follow the Ancient Shamans to the death. After that, the Demons rose to power and fought against the heavens, but the Qiongqi Clan cowered and did not advance to save their strengths. Now, they dare to come to the Shaman Tribe?” The old man snorted coldly, his snow-white beard stood up.
Who could have imagined that this seemingly plain tribe was a remnant of the Shamans?
Hmm, that was not right either. Even though they possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Shamans, after countless eras, the strand of bloodline had become very thin.
The tall man lowered his head. He would never answer such a sensitive question.
On the other hand, Du Lingxuan walked to the old man’s side and tugged at his beard. He asked softly, “What are they doing here? Our tribe has been in seclusion since the Ancient War. Now that they’re here…” He was young but as the clan master’s biological grandson, he knew much more than the ordinary tribesmen.
As expected, Du Jian gave him a meaningful look.
He cupped his hands and answered, “I don’t know. He said that he’d only speak when he sees Clan Master, and he’s being very firm about it.”
As soon as he finished, the room fell silent. Only a golden light was emitting a radiance.
After 10 breaths, the old man’s fingers lightly knocked on the table. He muttered, “Send the guest away.”
“Clan Master!” Du Jian was anxious. He took half a step forward as if he wanted to say something.
“Du Jian, don’t you know why remnants like us changed our surname?” Du Xie’s gaze suddenly focused. He looked over, and a domineering aura burst out from his skinny and withered body. Especially the 3 star marks between his eyebrows, they became brighter, so much so that more than half of the fourth star mark even appeared. His voice was not loud, but it was like thunder rumbling in Du Jian’s mind, making him feel powerless.
“Thank you for your reminder, Clan Master.” Du Jian’s throat trembled as he slowly retreated.
Du Lingxuan rolled his eyes and revealed a hint of craftiness. He sat next to the old man and tugged at the corner of his clothes. He said softly, “No wonder you didn’t allow me to catch the spirit fish. It turns out that you no longer have the intention to fight for hegemony.”
“Fight for hegemony?” Du Xie stroked his beard.
His expression was grave, and he said seriously, “Time has passed, and everything has changed. The era that belongs to us has long passed. Why do we need to go out and stir up trouble? Everyone knows the ambitions of the Qiongqis and the Golden Crows. They’ve also been recuperating in the heart of origins for hundreds of thousands of years. No one knows what trump cards they have now. If we join them rashly, I’m afraid that even our bones will be swallowed clean!” The old man’s voice was calm and relaxed. There was a kind of calmness in him that showed that he had seen through the vicissitudes of life.
“We might think this way, but some people don’t,” Du Lingxuan replied.
“Hmph, who dares to do that? I’m the clan master of the Shaman Tribe!” When the old man said this, the domineering look in his eyes flashed and disappeared.
Du Lingxuan immediately gave him a thumbs up and said in a flattering manner, “Grandfather, you’re so overbearing when you talk.”
“B*stard.” The old man acted as if he was going to hit him, but Du Lingxuan easily avoided him.
“Come here!” Du Xie glared at the boy, full of vigor.
Du Lingxuan was not going to fall for it. He raised his head to look at the beams and refused to speak.
The old man and the young boy were stubborn for a while. Soon, the old man’s gaze became gentler. He chuckled and asked, “Lingxuan, why do you think the Qiongqis have come to find us? The 3 of our tribes haven’t contacted each other for hundreds of thousands of years.” After saying that, he looked at Du Lingxuan with a burning gaze. Obviously, it was a test for the boy.
Du Lingxuan’s eyes had a different look, and he answered, “Hmph, when our clan suppressed the heavens, we made many vassal races swear their lifeblood oaths. As long as this contract exists, they’d be afraid of us no matter what. The lifeblood oaths are engraved in the great path and are witnessed by Heaven and Earth. Even the turbid races would have to pay a huge price if they want to go against it.”
“Mm.” Du Xie nodded slightly, his eyes full of satisfaction.
“What else?” He continued to ask.
This time, Du Lingxuan thought for a while, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a clear arc. He sneered and said, “They’re trying to test our strength. If they see that we’re too weak, they might even want to turn us into human puppets.”
Du Xie was pleased, and he asked again, “Then do you think it’s good for me to meet them or not?”
Du Lingxuan smiled slyly. “Grandfather, haven’t you already made your choice? Why are you still asking me?”
When the old man heard that, he laughed heartily and seemed to be full of energy. He patted Du Lingxuan’s shoulder and felt that it was gratifying to have a successor.
Unknowingly, it was evening. The sunset glow was bright red, dyeing the stream with a faint red color. It was like a lively landscape painting. Du Lingxuan looked at the sunset glow coming in through the window. He waved his hand and said with a smile, “It’s getting late. I have to go back. Otherwise, Mother will scold me again.”
The old man got up and poured some oil into the oil lamp. He nodded and said yes.
Seeing Du Lingxuan’s shadow being drawn longer by the setting sun, the old man took a deep breath. He felt a chill in his heart. With a flick of his long sleeve, 6 pale-yellow turtle shells slid out. He had a puzzled look on his face, and he said, “This isn’t right. If it was only the Qiongqis that came, the burning lamp shouldn’t have shown a warning. The wick even split into 3. This is a sign of a great calamity. What is going on?”
After pondering for a moment, Du Xie lightly tapped twice across the air with his right hand.
The small house shook slightly, and the floor cracked open. A dark tunnel suddenly appeared.
At this time, the old man did not hesitate at all. He took a step into the tunnel and just as he entered, everything returned to normal.
Before long, a gigantic underground palace appeared before the Shaman Tribe’s clan master.
There was a gigantic Yin-Yang Fish hanging upside down in the underground palace. There was Yang in Yin, and Yin in Yang, and it was spinning non-stop.
An old man with a ghost face was sitting cross-legged under the Yin-Yang Fish. A scar could be seen extending from his ear to the corner of his mouth, causing his wrinkly face to look even more ferocious. His Qi was blocked, and his life force was weak. It was clear that he did not have much time left. Especially when he opened his right eye, there was no spirit in it, and it gave people a feeling of dullness.
“Senior Brother!” Du Xie cupped his hands and bowed.
“Sit.” The ghost-faced old man’s voice was dry like 2 worn-out copper plates clashing together. As he spoke, he gently waved his long sleeves, and a bamboo gazebo fell. There were 2 pots of good liquor in the gazebo, and the fire was just right.
Du Xie did not find it strange. His senior brother’s path of divination was remarkable, where he could pry 500 years of fate. There was nothing in this world that could be hidden from him. Just as Du Xie was about to speak, the ghost-faced old man raised his hand and sighed. “Drink first. This is the most important matter.”
The old man laughed bitterly and swallowed a mouthful of liquor. He sighed and said, “This liquor must be paired with dragon meat indeed.”
Upon hearing this, the ghost-faced old man only smiled and did not answer. The liquor was a blend of the blood of dragons and phoenixes. As for the dragon meat, it was warmed with the undying Phoenix Fire, and it was the only portion he had.
Since they had drunk the liquor, they could say what they needed to say.
The ghost-faced old man took the initiative to speak, “I know why you’ve come. The burning lamp is warning us. This has only happened 3 times in the history of the Shamans. The first time, the chaos reopened, and living beings evolved. The second time, we suffered a great defeat. This time, it’s the third time. This world is really going to change.”
“Do you have a way to break through the calamity?” Du Xie asked in a deep voice.
“There’s always a chance for survival in everything,” the ghost-faced old man replied.
“Senior Brother, please give me some guidance. The last bit of the Shaman Tribe’s bloodline can’t be destroyed in my hands.” Du Xie bowed.
“Junior Brother, don’t be anxious. Everything is still unknown. Once I open the sky and perform divination, I’ll be able to see through the heavenly secrets. The danger of the Shaman Tribe will then be resolved.” He had a look of certainty on his face.
“Sorry to trouble you, Senior Brother.” Du Xie bowed again.
