Chapter 1155, A Strange Ritual

Translator: Silavin

 

Everywhere around Su Bai, the surrounding trees were hung with carcasses.

 

Blood seeped steadily from the wounds on each one. It stained the ground, the bark, and the stone surfaces nearby. The air was thick with a raw, heavy scent that made the nose want to turn away.

 

Yan Hua returned from the forest with another haul. Some of these were notably larger. Rather than cutting them open, she made small, shallow cuts across their bodies and let them bleed slowly.

 

“It does look rather unsettling.” Sha Lan couldn’t help a small shudder.

 

The scene was truly difficult to look at directly.

 

By Su Bai’s own description, it had the feeling of some strange ritual. The sort of thing that appeared in films.

 

Of course, no ritual was actually taking place here. The purpose was simply to draw Ferocious Beasts in.

 

“With this many carcasses laid out, the Ferocious Beasts ought to be drawn here, shouldn’t they?” Yan Hua’s brow creased faintly.

 

Even as a Totem Warrior, the intensity of the blood scent was strong to the point it became unpleasant for them to bear.

 

Especially with more than a dozen animal carcasses arranged around them, all bleeding at once. It was the sort of thing that raised the hairs on a person’s arms.

 

“It looks ruthless. But this is for the development of our Tribe.” Su Bai said with quiet resignation.

 

Had there been any other way, he would not have wanted to kill this many animals. That said, he was not a saint or anything. As a leader, he had to make ruthless decisions from time to time. There was simply no room for soft-heartedness here. The Flame Dragon Tribe had a future to build.

 

Su Bai was not going to let sentiment get in the way. What mattered most to him now was seeing the Tribe grow. He had arrived in this brutal era without explanation or warning. He had no choice but to be brutal in return.

 

If he were not, then the ones who would be dead were him and the Flame Dragon Tribe’s people.

 

“Shaman, this will likely attract some of the smaller Ferocious Beasts first. Why don’t you stand behind us for now.” Yan Hua said with some concern.

 

As a Totem Warrior, Yan Hua understood the habits of Ferocious Beasts well enough.

 

Blood scent could travel enormous distances for creatures with keen noses. Several kilometres was not exceptional. A beast could catch it on the wind from that far out.

 

And with more than a dozen carcasses out here, this was nothing short of a feast in the understanding of any Ferocious Beast that caught it.

 

“Alright. You can handle the smaller ones. I’ll save my strength for the large ones.” Su Bai said without urgency.

 

He was already prepared for the swarm that would arrive.

 

*Rustle rustle…*

 

The sounds began before the words had finished leaving his mouth.

 

The Ferocious Beasts were already close. The carcasses had been out for roughly ten minutes by then. For faster creatures, it was more than enough time to arrive. To them, it was simply time to eat.

 

“Ah’Lan, stay with the Shaman. I’ll handle the small ones.” Yan Hua raised a recurve bow in each hand.

 

She had trained relentlessly every day. Operating both recurve bows at once came more naturally to her now than it did to anyone else.

 

“Focus on what’s ahead. Leave everything here to me.” Sha Lan wanted no hesitation from Yan Hua.

 

Sha Lan drew her own blades, one in each hand. Two long knives appeared that clearly caught the light.

 

Those knives were made from Ferocious Beast Bone. Their durability was evident in the way they felt. A massive boulder could be cleaved cleanly in two, and the blade would not show a single notch.

 

“Give it your all!” Su Bai said cheerfully, pulling out his water flask and taking a calm drink. These sorts of things were hardly worth his attention.

 

*Roar roar roar…*

*Thwick thwick thwick…*

 

The calls of beasts rose in waves. Arrows cut through the air. One after another, the Ferocious Beasts went down.

 

They were not especially large beasts, about tiger-sized. For ordinary people, that was formidable enough.

 

Every one of the fallen Ferocious Beasts shared one thing in common. Each had taken an arrow directly to the forehead.

 

“Come back for more if you think you’ve got lives to spare.” Yan Hua smiled with unhurried confidence.

 

Months of relentless training had brought her accuracy to a perfect strike rate. It held even against targets that never stopped moving.

 

Let her find one opening and death would follow. These Ferocious Beasts came barreling straight at her in a line. They were practically stationary targets by comparison.

 

“Keep going, Ah’Hua. There are many more coming.” Sha Lan could feel the pressure around them rising sharply.

 

Many of the wild animals in the area had begun to tremble and scatter, fleeing outright. The air felt dense, almost compressed.

 

“Don’t worry. This barely counts as half my usual training intensity. Consider today a live exercise.” Yan Hua gave her recurve bows a casual spin.

 

More arrows snapped through the air in quick succession. Ferocious Beasts that came bursting from the trees and undergrowth dropped one after another.

 

Yan Hua at that moment was genuinely impressive to watch. Her reaction speed, her precision, all of it held steady.

 

“All that training and food weren’t wasted after all. The results are showing now.” Su Bai gave a satisfied nod.

 

He looked entirely at ease, entirely unconcerned with everything happening around him.

 

“Ah’Hua is the strongest of all the newly risen Totem Warriors right now. At this rate, she should break through to High Grade Totem Warrior before long.” Sha Lan said with excitement.

 

She kept part of her attention on Yan Hua, but most of it was on the perimeter around them.

 

No one could be certain there wasn’t something slipping past to come for them from another angle.

 

*Slash slash slash…*

 

Before Sha Lan had finished speaking, a Ferocious Beast that had been dropping from the sky above hit the ground.

 

Sha Lan had spotted it closing in from overhead well before it arrived. Her blades had been ready long before that. The few beasts coming from above were dealt with in moments.

 

“You really are the one I rely on most.” Yan Hua said with a grin.

 

The ground in front of her was already thick with fallen Ferocious Beasts, each one fiercer looking than the last.

 

Yet before Yan Hua, they had all come apart like soft clay. Not one lasted three seconds. Not one.

 

“Keep it up. Training the Tribe’s Warriors will be in your hands going forward.” Su Bai said with evident satisfaction.

 

The reason was simple. Every Ferocious Beast that had fallen had taken a killing blow to a vital point. Nothing wasted. Nothing missed.

 

“Shaman need not worry. I will train all Warriors to be strong!” Yan Hua felt the weight of that responsibility settle over her immediately.

 

“And I’m here as well, Shaman.” Sha Lan brought her blade down cleanly on a Ferocious Beast that burst up through the earth.

 

“Good.” Su Bai laughed, open and easy.