Chapter 59: Pottery Tribe |
Suddenly, the black cloth covering the cage was lifted, and long-lost light shone in.
Even though it was only the dim glow of candlelight, it still made her shut her eyes from the sting.
At that moment, Luo Yi also smelled a heavy scent of blood in the surroundings, filling her heart with fear.
Yet for some reason, everything around her remained deathly silent, without a single sound.
Only after Luo Yi adjusted to the light and opened her eyes again did she realize she seemed to be in a cold, gloomy basement chamber.
Chains stained with dark red blood hung on the surrounding walls, along with all kinds of terrifying blades.
This made her instinctively curl up.
Until her gaze shifted to another corner.
There stood a man with golden hair. At that moment, he had his back to her, leaning over a stone table, seemingly carving something.
she instantly became agitated.
“It’s you!”
“The next Pope of the Theocratic State of the Stars, You!”
she cried out in shock.
Hearing this, You paused, slowly putting down the carving knife in his hand, a playful curve forming at the corner of his lips.
He turned around and walked calmly to the front of the cage, looking down at Luo Yi, who was trapped inside, disheveled and miserable.
You’s research had recently encountered a bottleneck.
He urgently needed to determine whether the storage location of Starlight Power in Recipients of Divine Grace from different constellations was all situated in the abdomen.
Thus, he had cleverly spread rumors across various nations about merfolk treasures and merfolk blood being able to extend lifespan.
And secretly instigated a powerful Marquess to issue an exorbitant bounty in his name.
Using human greed, he remained behind the scenes and successfully obtained Luo Yi—the “experimental subject” he had long awaited.
Originally…
he had planned to spare her life after completing his research.
Unfortunately, she recognized him.
A deep darkness flashed through You’s eyes.
Without hesitation, he opened the cage door and struck the back of Luo Yi’s neck with a precise chop, knocking her unconscious once more.
Then, expressionless, he dragged Luo Yi onto the stone bed.
Preparing to begin…
his new round of “exploration of eternity” research!
…
“Clang… dong…”
“Clang… dong…”
Rhythmic knocking sounds echoed within the cave.
He looked at the few people digging the mountain together, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
Some days ago, Old Man Shan’s wife had fallen critically ill. Although the two had argued constantly over the years about digging the mountain, their decades of marriage still remained.
So when his son came to find him, he returned. He followed along as well.
Old Man Shan’s tribe looked quite ordinary, similar to some medium and small tribes outside.
The only special thing was—
they had mastered a unique craft.
Using a special kind of clay to shape objects, then firing them at high temperatures, they could create colorful, sturdy, and durable utensils.
They were very convenient for daily eating and drinking.
Old Man Shan said this was called pottery.
Small pottery items were called pottery bowls.
Larger ones were called pottery basins or pottery jars.
These pottery items were not only practical but also very beautiful. He believed that if these items were brought to the outside world, they would certainly cause great nobles to scramble for them.
After all, they loved such ornate objects and believed only such things were worthy of their noble status.
And because Old Man Shan’s tribe possessed this unique pottery,
his tribe was called the “Pottery Tribe.”
It was also the only tribe among hundreds nearby that had mastered pottery-making techniques.
After He followed Old Man Shan to see his wife, he could not bear to see Old Man Shan grieve. At the same time, he wanted to change Old Man Shan’s living conditions by demonstrating the power of Divine Grace.
Thus, he took the initiative to act, using Divine Grace to heal his wife.
Likewise, after displaying the power of Divine Grace, he was regarded as a god by the entire tribe.
Even though he repeatedly explained that he was merely an ordinary person who had received the god’s grace,
he was still revered as a divine envoy.
At times, his words even carried more weight than the tribe’s chief and priest.
Therefore, when he proposed that the tribe assist Old Man Shan in digging the mountain,
although most people felt it was meaningless,
out of reverence for the “divine envoy” and desire for the healing power he displayed,
the tribe’s chief and priest still decided to send five able-bodied young men each day in rotation to help with the digging.
This way, it would not affect the tribe’s normal production while also fulfilling his request.
At first, Old Man Shan felt this arrangement was inappropriate. After all, digging the mountain had always been his own idea.
He did not wish to impose his thoughts on others.
But He believed that he had healed the tribe’s sick, and the tribe sending people to assist with digging the mountain in return
was simply a fair exchange.
After thinking it over, Old Man Shan found his reasoning sound and no longer objected.
Life seemed to fall into a steady rhythm.
Every day, there were fixed laborers coming to dig the mountain, and progress was much faster than when Old Man Shan worked alone.
However, the mountains stretched endlessly. Even with five people working daily, let alone if all three to four hundred able-bodied members of the Pottery Tribe came to help, they still could not dig through many mountains.
He still could not leave.
Thus, a new plan formed in He’s mind. Even if he could not leave in this lifetime, his descendants could.
Yes—descendants.
He planned to settle in the Pottery Tribe in the future and leave behind offspring.
Hoping that generations later, when the mountains were finally dug through, his descendants could bring his remains back to his homeland for burial.
However…
the peaceful days were shattered one day.
As usual, He and six members of the Pottery Tribe, including Old Man Shan, were digging deep within the cave.
Suddenly, a violent tremor came from all directions. The soil and rocks above them began to fall in a steady stream.
And it grew denser and faster!
“Not good!”
He’s expression changed drastically as he cried out.
Reacting instantly, he raised a brilliant starlight barrier, enveloping all seven of them within.
Almost the moment the barrier formed—
“BOOM!!!”
A thunderous roar exploded!
The entire cave collapsed in an instant!
Massive earth and stone buried them completely.
If not for the starlight barrier he raised at the critical moment, they would have already been buried alive.
After the violent tremors subsided,
a voice filled with fear and anger rang out.
“It’s you!”
“It must be because you angered the Mountain God!”
“That’s why the Mountain God brought down punishment!”
“And dragged us down to die here with you!”
“If it weren’t for you insisting on digging the mountain, none of this would have happened!”
“You are a sinner!”
The tribes within the mountains had worshipped the Mountain God for generations.
In their eyes, this sudden collapse was undoubtedly divine punishment for desecrating the mountain!