nucmednet Chapter 152 The Blessing Ceremony at the Ten Thousand Ren Cliff
Chapter 152 The Blessing Ceremony at the Ten Thousand Ren Cliff
"Yao and I will love you together, okay?" Those words that made her blush back then truly meant love from the heart, not just a verb. That's why Bai always knew she wanted to leave, yet he silently stayed by her side, helping her find clues to go home! Who said he was being childish? This was just his way of loving himself. Lin Ni, deeply moved, nestled on Bai's back, struggling to hold back her tears. They were so good to her!
"Me too! No matter what you want to do, I'll be with you!" Ye said as if making a vow, and then added, "I will love you along with Yao and Bai!" Although she knew they must have some secrets they didn't want her to know, Ye felt that her feelings for Lin Ni were no less than those two.
"Me too! I will love you along with Yao, Bai, and Ye!" Yan said quickly.
Yao didn't speak, one hand supporting Lin Ni's waist, the other gently stroking her back. At that moment, no one spoke, but everyone firmly resolved their stance.
After that, no one spoke, and they ran all the way to the stone tablet.
There's an old Chinese saying: "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death." In this case, it should be "Looking at a mountain makes a snake run itself to death." They hadn't been out of the Eagle Beast Tribe for long when they saw the small stone tablet hanging on the southern horizon, but it took them over three hours to reach it. Both Night and Spirit were panting heavily, their mouths dry. Although Spirit was a level higher than Night, he was carrying Xuan on his back! Xuan, this land tortoise, was useless for traveling; he was slow on land and slow in water, so they had to rely on Spirit. Xuan was very fast in combat and hunting, having reached level nine. He was alright for short distances, but long distances would be fatal. His strengths lay in lightning-fast attacks and defenses, but those abilities weren't needed right now. Night secretly thought to himself: "It's a good thing Xuan grew up with Spirit; if it were me, I would have thrown him away long ago!"
Bai is fine; carrying two people for several hours is no big deal for him!
Because the stone tablet was suspended in mid-air, they climbed up a large rocky mountain that was closest to it.
On the way up the mountain, Lin Ni said to Yan, "Yan, Yao will try to activate the stone tablet in the name of Suzaku. If he can't activate it, then you can try."
Yan nodded and said, "Okay."
Hundreds of orcs had already gathered on the mountain, both male and female. Some remained in their animal forms, standing to one side or in the trees, while others had transformed into human form, standing or sitting to the side. It was quite a bustling scene! In the middle of the mountaintop, which was filled with orcs, there was a clearing of about thirty or forty square meters. Lin Ni remembered what Da Jin had said, "Let everyone come and broaden their horizons." So this was the clearing for her to come up and "perform."
The arrival of Lin Ni and her group caused whispers among the beastmen on the mountaintop. Lin Ni could vaguely hear them saying, "Look, that's Lin from the Tiger Beast Tribe of the Towering Mountains!"
"I heard she was blessed three times by the Beast God Stele!"
"Oh my god! She's so fair-skinned and beautiful!"
"What a beautiful little female!"
"She's so skinny and small, I wonder if she can even lay eggs!"
Ahe came over carrying a bunch of different fruits wrapped in large leaves: "Lin, you're finally here! Have some fruit first!"
Lin Ni hid behind Yao, knowing that it was pointless to talk to these men, so she didn't bother to speak.
Yao looked over and asked in a calm tone, "Are you trying to force us to take action under the stone tablet?"
Ahe's expression changed, and he stepped back without saying another word.
When they saw him step back, they ignored him.
Lin Ni took her water bottle from Yao, drank the water, and then hung it on her body as she walked towards the middle of the mountaintop.
Bai transformed back into human form and walked in front, with Ye and Yao flanking Lin Ni on either side, and Yan following behind. They all walked together.
Xuan and Ling followed behind Yan, also curious about how Lin Ni planned to activate the stone tablet.
As the group reached the center, Linni noticed the various fruits, three types of grains (sorghum, millet, and rice), and sacrificial offerings such as wolf heads, wild boar heads, and goat heads. This showed considerable care and attention. The earlier whispers and murmurs from the beastmen lessened her annoyance.
The two clan chiefs, Da Jin and Da Shun, smiled at Lin Ni and the others and said, "Lin, you've finally arrived. The sacrificial offerings are all prepared. Do you think we can begin?"
Lin Ni smiled apologetically: "Chief of the Great Jin Clan, I'm sorry to have troubled you! I've never attended your Wanren Stone Cliff's blessing ceremony before, so please make the arrangements."
Standing next to Da Jin, a tall, dark-skinned middle-aged woman said, "Isn't this just causing trouble? We usually only hold a blessing ceremony once a season, but we specially prepared another one for you to come and pray today, making me come all the way from the tribe!"
Lin Ni glanced at her disdainful face, then at her protruding belly, realizing she was pregnant. She simply smiled and remained silent. She had indeed troubled them, but she hadn't asked them to go to so much trouble! She wanted to come and see for herself, and they had made such a fuss, and now they were blaming her? However, she didn't want to argue with a pregnant woman, so she let her talk.
Da Jin gently nudged his partner: "They're guests who've come from afar! You should start organizing things."
The woman looked reluctant, but Da Jin coaxed her several times before she stepped forward and loudly announced, "Please come to the center, everyone. We are about to begin the prayer!"
The chatter gradually quieted down, and the orcs who were sitting or leaning against something stood up. Unlike the tiger beast tribe, where the males retreated to the surrounding area, everyone stayed where they were, standing still and waiting quietly.
Lin Ni looked at Yao, who smiled encouragingly at her, and the two held hands and waited in place.
Da Jin's partner, Sang, shouted, "Pray!" Then, leading everyone, they knelt down with their hands clasped in front of their chests, and bowed three times before the stone tablet. After bowing, Sang raised his head and said loudly, "We pray to the Beast God from the towering cliffs, hoping that the Beast God will bless us!"
All the beastmen chanted in unison: "We pray to the Beast God from the towering cliffs, hoping that the Beast God will bless us!"
Then all the orcs, including Xuan and Ling, transformed into their beast forms. There were only a few ferocious beasts left on the scene, mostly bird-like orcs. They then looked up at the stone tablet and let out a series of cries. The cries were somewhat sharp and piercing, giving Lin Ni a headache.
Only Lin Ni and a few others did not transform into their beast forms. Lin Ni did not have a beast form, Yao forgot that he could not transform into his beast form, Ye had never participated in the blessing ceremony before due to his background, so he did not have this kind of on-site reaction, and Bai only participated when he transformed into human form, and since his companions had not transformed, he also did not transform.