Chapter 170 Southern Frontier
Two weeks later, in the jungle on the edge of southern Xinjiang.
The off-road vehicle stopped on the bumpy dirt road, with an even denser and more difficult primeval forest ahead.
Shen Yan adjusted the detector in his hand; the energy reading on the screen pointed to the depths of the jungle, fluctuating gently and regularly.
"The signal is very stable and similar to the resonance frequency of the necklace, so it should be carrier 02."
Qin Li unfolded a hand-drawn map, which was marked with the rough directions provided by the "doctor" and the possible settlements of the tribe.
"The Holy Mountain Tribe lives a secluded life and rejects outsiders. According to scattered records, they worship the 'Mountain Spirit,' and their sacred object is a bone bead passed down through generations, which is said to be able to communicate with ancestral spirits and appease wild beasts. That is the vessel 02."
Ruan Ning inspected the equipment: "We're not here to rob you. Let's make contact first, state our purpose, and see if we can trade."
Zhou Min worried, "What if the tribe resolutely refuses to give it to us?"
"Then let's verify the resonance and leave, and make a long-term plan."
Ruan Ning looked at the jungle, "But we need to confirm that what the 'doctor' said is true, and that the carriers can indeed sense each other. This is the premise."
Lin Yan used her knife to cut through the vines blocking her path: "How do we find them? If we just barge in, we'll definitely be mistaken for enemies."
Shen Yan pointed to the detector: "Follow the signal. The energy source is fixed and should be located at the core of the tribal ritual. Once we get close enough, they will definitely detect us. Then we can reveal our identities."
Ruan Ning stored the vehicle in his spatial storage, took the necessary equipment and supplies for the trade, and trekked into the jungle.
The jungle proved more difficult to traverse than anticipated, and the silent probe constantly adjusted its course.
After traveling for about three hours, the signal on the detector suddenly increased.
"It's very close, no more than 500 meters." Shen Yan lowered his voice.
Almost simultaneously, rustling sounds and low shouts, resembling some kind of dialect, came from the surrounding treetops!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several sharpened wooden spears, coated with a dark green sap, shot from different directions! The angles were tricky, and the speed was extremely fast!
Qin Li shouted, and the defensive force field instantly expanded. The wooden spears that hit the force field bounced off or broke.
The fire roared, and golden flames formed a ring of fire around the group, repelling any lurking attackers who might approach.
Ruan Ning did not make a move, but expanded his mental energy to lock onto the seven life forms in the surrounding tree canopy.
Their faces were painted with oil paint, they moved nimbly, and their aura was not weak. Two of them were obviously superhumans, and their energy fluctuations blended into the jungle environment.
"We mean no harm!" Qin Li shouted in Common Tongue, raising his hands to indicate that he was empty-handed. "We are from the Northwest Base, here seeking knowledge and dialogue!"
The attackers in the treetops paused. An old but powerful voice responded in heavily accented Common: "Outsiders! Leave the Holy Mountain! You are not welcome here!"
Ruan Ning stepped forward, pulled the jade pendant out from her collar, held it in her palm, and let it hang naturally. At the same time, she gestured to Qin Li.
Qin Li also took out a necklace.
The two carriers glowed faintly in the air, emitting unique energy fluctuations.
"We have come for the 'holy relic'," Ruan Ning said, using his mental power to clearly transmit his voice to each attacker. "We possess the 'key' of the same origin, not to seize it, but to verify the ancient resonance."
The jungle fell into a brief silence.
The people in the treetop were clearly startled by the energy fluctuations emanating from the vessel. They could sense an aura that was faintly similar to, yet different from, the tribe's sacred object.
A moment later, the aged voice rang out again, tinged with surprise and doubt: "You all come down. No weapons allowed. Leave the big beast outside."
Ruan Ning signaled Da Huo to stay put. She and Qin Li handed their weapons to Shen Yan and the others, and, wearing only the necklaces, headed towards the direction from which the sound came.
After passing through a dense thicket of bushes, a small clearing in the woods came into view.
In the center of the open space was an ancient stone altar, upon which were placed some animal bones and fruits.
Seven tribal warriors descended from the tree, armed with bows and spears, and warily surrounded them.
The leader was an old man with gray hair, a face covered in wrinkles and tattoos, holding a wooden staff inlaid with wild animal teeth, and sharp eyes.
The old man's eyes were fixed on the necklaces in Ruan Ning and Qin Li's hands.
"You... truly possess the 'Mountain Spirit Pact'..." The old man's voice trembled. "Legend has it that the 'Pacts' scattered elsewhere... will one day return to the sacred mountain, bringing revelation or calamity."
Ruan Ning keenly caught the phrase "Mountain Spirit Pact." "Is this what you call the sacred object? We call it a 'vessel'."
The old man did not answer, but turned and walked behind the altar: "Come with me. The high priest wants to see you."
He signaled the other soldiers to remain on guard, then led Ruan Ning and Qin Li around the altar and deeper into the jungle. Shen Yan and the others were instructed to stay in the clearing and wait.
After walking for about ten minutes, we arrived at the entrance to a secluded valley. Mist swirled within the valley, and the sound of flowing water could be heard. More tribal warriors guarded the entrance, respectfully yielding to the old man upon seeing him.
The valley is a hidden paradise. Several small stilted houses, made of bamboo and wood, are built against the mountainside, housing only a few dozen families. In front of the largest bamboo house in the center stands a wooden pillar carved with intricate totems.
An old woman dressed in a robe of colorful feathers and animal skins, with her face painted with white totems, stood in front of the bamboo house.
She held an open wooden box in her hands, inside which was lined with soft animal hide, and on it lay a bone bead the size of a pigeon egg, warm and milky white, with natural spiral patterns on its surface.
Carrier 02.
The moment Ruan Ning and Qin Li stepped into the valley, the two jade pendants vibrated slightly and emitted an even brighter light!
The bone bead seemed to be awakened, with a soft halo flowing inside, which complemented the light of the two necklaces!
Three energy fluctuations, originating from the same source but different in nature, resonated gently in the valley, making the air seem thick and full of life. The surrounding tribespeople knelt down, chanting incantations, their expressions devout and excited.
The high priestess watched this scene, a look of vicissitude and understanding flashing in her eyes. She spoke slowly, her voice ethereal: "The prophecy has come true... The scattered 'contracts' are beginning to gather. Holders, state your origins and purposes."
Ruan Ning frankly stated, “We come from the Northwest. The necklaces are relics left by our elders, and we only recently learned that they are related to an ancient project called ‘Origin,’ which is referred to as ‘Carrier.’”
“We have learned that there are many more carriers scattered around the world, and gathering them together may hold the truth about the end times. We have come here to verify the resonance and hope to understand the inheritance of the ‘Mountain Spirit Pact’ and the secrets it protects.”
The high priest gazed at Ruan Ning: "'The Primordial Beginning'... a very ancient term. The ancestors of the Holy Mountain Tribe once had contact with a group of 'extraterrestrial sages.' The 'Mountain Spirit Pact' is a token left from that time, which protects the creatures of this mountain forest and communicates with the spirits of nature. But we do not know the 'truth of the end times'."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com