“No! There are two layers of seal! The first layer is a seal that uses the earth's veins as an array to isolate heaven and earth; the other layer, the bloodline seal, still exists.” Qi Long shook his head slightly and said.
“Clan Chief Gao Yi, please accept our bow!” Yuan Tiangang said solemnly.
Everyone was filled with admiration and sincerely bowed deeply.
"Our ancestors understood this back then! It's better to guide than to block, so they sent their ten most capable sons to establish a tribe here, constantly killing ferocious beasts to deplete the malevolent energy. With the passage of time, the malevolent energy within will gradually weaken!" Qi Long explained after returning the greeting.
"The Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor! They truly inspire our admiration!" Yuan Tiangang exclaimed. He was quite knowledgeable about formations, but setting up a formation to seal off a mountain range spanning tens of thousands of miles was simply impossible. Not to mention a formation sealing off numerous other locations.
Qin Mu and the others understood: those places that suddenly appeared must have been inhabited by tribes of the gods in the past. Sealing them away was a way to weaken them or make them disappear into the annals of history by harnessing the power of time. As for why they weren't wiped out back then, it was probably because they lacked the strength. After all, they had concentrated a large force to fight against the main force of the gods.
The sealed land is like a dome. The malevolent energy will be slowly absorbed by the earth and by the ferocious beasts. But if ten gaps are opened, those ferocious beasts will rush out. As the beasts are killed, the malevolent energy inside will dissipate even faster.
Even after at least several thousand years, the malevolent aura remains so strong, which shows that the claim that it once covered the sky was not an exaggeration.
The current orcs might very well be the weaklings the gods would have looked down upon back then, or even members of the human alliance. This news was utterly unbelievable to everyone; it completely defied their usual understanding. They never imagined the truth of the ancient times was like this. For a moment, everyone was pondering these shocking revelations.
"Now that nearly ten thousand years have passed, are those divine lackeys who came out of the sealed land still powerful?" Qi Long and the others asked after digesting the information.
“Some we haven’t discovered yet, some have disappeared without a trace, and some have been completely forgotten about ancient times,” Qin Mu explained.
"Sealed in a small place, the tribe's survival will definitely become more and more difficult! It wouldn't be surprising if they disappeared," Qi Long said thoughtfully.
“Yes! In several places I know, those tribes don’t know how to farm. Even without natural disasters, food will be a big problem for them,” Qin Mu replied.
"Only humans know how to cultivate crops. The reason those tribes depend on us is because humans have an endless supply of food!" Qi Long grinned.
"Chief, do you know if a god will be born? Our ancient records state that the beastmen have been trying to break the seal and release the god."
"We came to the most dangerous Nightmare Mountains to see if there are any gods here," Yuan Tiangang asked.
"I can't be sure about that either, but even if there are gods within the seal, they are only descendants, and descendants can never compare to their ancestors. Even if there are, there's no need to worry. According to what you've said, some of the seal has indeed broken, which is why some ferocious beasts have rushed out of the mountains. However, the main seal still exists, so not many will break out."
As for the outside world, you'll have to explore it yourselves. However, according to ancestral records, during the final battle, a group of people went out to sea to hunt down a group of gods. Qi Long said thoughtfully.
Qi Long's words surprised and relieved everyone. The beasts they were guarding here were hundreds of meters long. If those giants had charged outside, they wouldn't have been able to hold them off at first. Even with enough manpower, the casualties would have been considerable.
"Let's search around and see where the seal is broken, and we should reseal it if possible," Yuan Tiangang suggested.
"The bloodline seal can be broken, but it's impossible to repair it unless the entire seal is rearranged," Qi Long said, shaking his head.
“Then we can build another city and block it up there,” Luo Cheng said.
“I will send a message to the other nine tribes to help them keep an eye on things, but I can’t do anything about guarding the garrison. We’re guarding this place, and the population is gradually decreasing. It’s said that in the beginning, each tribe had 50,000 people, but now they have less than 10,000,” Qi Long said with a deep frown.
"It's alright, we'll send people to guard it," Luo Cheng said.
Worried that Qi Long might misunderstand, Qin Mu explained, "The imperial court will send troops to guard the area, which will absolutely not affect you. Moreover, they will bring you a large amount of supplies. Clan chief, you can make any requests you have, and the imperial court will provide them for you. Grain, weapons, cloth, anything is possible."
"Thank you! If possible, it would be great if we could have some female slaves." Qi Long said with a happy smile.
I understand what he means. The female slaves are only there to continue the family line and make up for the shortage of manpower.
This is a respectable group of people, a group of pure-hearted people, who have guarded this place generation after generation, following their ancestors' orders.
Qin Mu was deeply moved and bowed respectfully, saying, "Clan Chief, the world is not what it was thousands of years ago. The Tang Dynasty is rich in resources, and supporting your small number of people is a piece of cake, it's just that the journey is a bit long."
As he spoke, Qin Mu waved his hand and released ten bags of refined salt, a pile of canned goods, ten bundles of dried fish, and ten bags of dried fruit. If he wasn't afraid of startling others, he could have taken out a hundred times more, after all, these were reserve supplies for thousands of soldiers.
"What is this?" Qi Long asked, puzzled.
"This is refined salt, the kind of salt that the people of our Great Tang Dynasty eat. Canned fruit and dried fish from the sea are all ordinary foods." Qin Mu introduced as he opened the package, eating a piece himself before handing it to Qi Long.
Qi Long recognized the fruit, of course. He tasted a piece, then smiled and looked at the snow-white refined salt, asking, "Is this salt?"
Qin Mu smiled and gestured for him to try it himself.
Qi Long picked up a bit, put it in his mouth, and then revealed a bright smile. Salt has always been the most scarce resource for these tribes.
"Thank you, I really like your gift. Please allow us to host a banquet for you; we can discuss the rest tomorrow," Qi Long said with a smile.
"Although we are guests, let us still use Tang Dynasty food to cook a meal for us," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Alright, let us see just how much the outside world has changed." Qi Long didn't refuse; he knew this was something Qin Mu and the others wanted to show off.
After leaving the main hall and arriving at the square, Qin Mu explained their intentions, and everyone immediately began to get busy. Qi Long also asked people to help, bringing firewood and moving tables and chairs.
Many of those who came out this time brought Sumeru space equipment, so they had no shortage of food, especially Qin Mu's group, who secretly took out a lot more, particularly dried fruit, which he had brought to replace vegetables, and dried fish—things the others didn't have. However, they still had plenty of meat. A campfire was lit, and the roasted meat was laid out. The Taoists hadn't brought much else, but they had plenty of spices, which they sprinkled on the meat, and soon the air was filled with a delicious aroma.
Perhaps worried that Qin Mu and his group wouldn't have enough meat, Qi Long had his men set up a fire, carry the ferocious beast that was dozens of meters long, and start roasting it on the spot.
"Clan leader, do you usually eat this? Aren't you worried about the malevolent energy?" Yuan Tiangang asked curiously.
"It's alright. As long as you're an adult, you can eat the meat of ferocious beasts," Qi Long replied.
"So how do you avoid the malevolent aura? Of course! If it's inconvenient to say, just pretend I didn't ask." Yuan Tiangang continued to ask, genuinely curious, because even though they had taken pills made from the essence of ferocious beasts, they dared not consume too many.
“I forgot that there are no ferocious beasts outside. There’s nothing to hide. Our children are cleansed with the blood of ferocious beasts from a young age. After they turn ten, they can bathe in the blood of ferocious beasts. And after they grow up, they can eat the flesh of ferocious beasts,” Qi Long explained, tapping his forehead.
"So that's how it is. By gradually increasing one's resistance to malevolent energy, one can ignore it," Sun Simiao said with sudden realization.
"I don't understand the reason either, but we've always done it this way, and there are only ferocious beasts to eat here," Qi Long said with a smile.
Qin Mu then noticed that the people of the Qi tribe had faint spiritual patterns emerging under their skin, but they could only be seen by looking closely. At first glance, they would just look like veins. The grains they brought out were millet, sorghum, and barley, which were considered coarse grains in the Tang Dynasty and were rarely grown.
The people of the Qi tribe were very curious about Qin Mu and his group. Only the women of their tribe wore clothes; the men wore breastplates in battle, but otherwise went shirtless. Unlike Qin Mu and his group, most of them wore full armor.
Qin Mu always liked the saying "it's never wrong to be too polite," so he immediately gave away another five hundred Embroidered Spring Knives. These were the discarded products of the Six Doors constables after their strength increased.
Of course! Besides rice and noodles, there wasn't enough for everyone to eat as much as they wanted, so the Qi tribe members distributed the food themselves. Everyone ate the meal in high spirits, and the relationship between the two sides was immediately brought closer.
"Don't worry, we'll find the place where the seal was broken in a few days. But as you can see, we really can't guard any more places." Qi Long, though not drunk, spoke much louder after drinking some wine.
"It's alright, we can hold the fort. From now on, we'll help each other out, and things will be much easier," Luo Cheng assured him, patting his chest.
"Chieftain, we can build a city on the other side of the mountain and let the children and women move there. It will not only be safe, but it will also be convenient to grow crops. We can forge weapons and armor there. The weapons of the Tang Dynasty are very advanced now, as you have seen," Qin Mu continued.
To truly integrate, settling down is the best way. Only by living together for a long time can one become a family. Otherwise, even the best relationship will feel like strangers.
“We once thought about building a separate city in a remote place, but each tribe doesn’t have enough manpower,” Qi Long said with a wry smile.
"It's alright, we can build a small castle first, just leave that to us," Qin Mu said with a smile. He remembered the extinct volcano on the way here, and volcanic ash was the best substitute for cement.
Qi Long was delighted. Most of the food Qin Mu had prepared today was something they had never tasted before, and crucially, there was even a salt weapon. This made them feel the goodwill of Qin Mu and his companions, and at the same time, they were very curious about the outside world. Moreover, their ancestors had prophesied that when outsiders appeared, it would be the time for them to complete their mission and escape their suffering, no longer having to fight ferocious beasts day and night.
Following Qin Mu's suggestion, Qi Long decided to send people out of the mountains to see the changes outside so they could adapt to life there.
The next day, Qin Mu and his men also began to arrange for people to help with the defense. The Qi tribe and their men fought non-stop, which was actually out of necessity. Although only flying beasts were allowed to enter the city, if the beasts that rushed out were not cleared out, the people working outside the city would be in danger.
The ferocious beast emerged from a misty valley surrounded by towering, steep cliffs so steep even mountain goats couldn't traverse them, barren and devoid of vegetation. No one knew what lay beyond the mountains, not even the flying beasts, which all emerged from the mist.
Now that they knew the seal still existed, Qin Mu and his group breathed a sigh of relief; at least the mission wasn't as complicated as they had imagined. The most crucial thing now was to find the location where the seal had been breached and then assign people to defend it. Although they were still in a passive position, this would allow the Tang Dynasty to weather this difficult period.
Moreover, now that the benefits of ferocious beasts have been discovered, many aristocratic families are interested in defense and have begun discussing how to allocate defensive resources.
"No need to argue. Distribute according to the amount of effort put in. No one will have any objections this way. If there are too many people, we can rotate them." Luo Cheng made the final decision.
"General Luo, although this is fair, there are too many of us. If we distribute resources like this, there will be too few," someone said with dissatisfaction.
“There are still ten tribes here. We can gradually build relationships, help with defense, and get some blood from the ferocious beasts. That shouldn’t be a problem. It all depends on who can provide more support. Currently, besides the combat personnel, there are also ordinary people. We need to build two castles, construct roads, and grow crops. We need a lot of manpower and resources,” Qin Mu said.
Now there were no objections. The affairs here should definitely be led by the imperial court, and since alchemy is the Daoist school's forte, these two should take the lion's share. Therefore, allocating resources based on contributions is the most appropriate approach, rather than solely based on combat personnel. For such large families, contributing more manpower and resources is naturally the most convenient thing to do.
The ten tribes descended from the Yellow Emperor had guarded the city for many years, sacrificing countless lives. Now, with their population dwindling, they would not object to having more people help with the defense. Therefore, Qin Mu's opinion was accepted. At the same time, they began to inquire about how to build the castle and discuss how to defend it. While defending the Qi tribe, they also studied the fighting methods and weaknesses of the ferocious beasts.
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