Towering mountains reached for the clouds, and ancient, lush forests were shrouded in mist. Through the ethereal veil, majestic demonic birds soared, their calls echoing with a crisp, melodious sound.
Bai Ye gazed at the Mist Birds, their feathers smooth and gleaming, and offered a fair assessment. By the sound of it, the flesh of these demonic birds should be quite good!
Seeing Bai Ye’s gaze, Robert mistook it for apprehension and spoke, “Lord Divine Light, you need not worry. Those are Mist Birds. The mist they release has a paralyzing effect on enemies and prey. However, they only hunt small animals and rarely harm people. Moreover, their mist conveniently conceals the passage back to our home, making them our good companions!”
“Oh!” Bai Ye inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. After traveling for so long, he had finally found a good small prey, only for it to be the dwarves’ ‘good companion.’ This made it difficult to act openly, lest his divine image be tarnished.
“Lord Divine Light, to avoid alarming the Mist Birds and to conceal our tribe, shall we enter quietly?” At the foot of the mountain, Kaile and his kin descended from the serpentine body of the snake woman. The snake woman’s formidable aura and striking size had already put the Mist Birds on the mountain on alert.
“Alright.” Bai Ye also dismounted from the snake woman. The snake woman transformed into her human form; moving in human guise was much more convenient. However, in terms of combat, her true form was undoubtedly stronger!
“Should we take this? It can detoxify; there are poisonous gases in the mountains.” The dwarves took out masks from their waists and handed two to Bai Ye and the snake woman.
Upon receiving and examining the mask, Bai Ye’s expression shifted slightly in surprise. This mask bore a resemblance to the gas masks on Blue Star, but it only covered the lower half of the face and lacked an oxygen tank or filter. It had only a breathing valve. The breathing valve and filter might have been combined. In this regard, it seemed even more advanced than those on Blue Star?
The dwarves’ manufacturing technology had once again astonished Bai Ye.
“I don’t need it.” Bai Ye returned the mask to Kaile, while the snake woman curiously put it on.
“Let’s go.”
As they entered the mountain, the forest grew even denser. The thick branches blocked out the sunlight, making the woods considerably darker. It seemed the mountains could gather elemental energy, and the power within the mountains had increased.
As for the poisonous gases the dwarves had mentioned, they were actually anesthetic toxins deposited by the mountain mist, accumulating in the forests year after year without dissipation.
After a long and winding, bumpy journey, everyone arrived before a massive tree with a diameter of over twenty meters. The entire tree resembled a small hillside.
Robert cautiously scouted the surroundings for a moment, ensuring no one was following. With a few swift movements, he scurried up the tree and pulled a branch. The large tree vibrated with a rumble.
A large opening slowly appeared at the base of the roots, revealing stairs leading into the depths—a hidden mechanism!
“Let’s go. Through this passage, we can reach our tribe.” Robert, with a joyful expression, led the way down.
Upon entering the cave, as if sensing their presence, small lights illuminated the walls, perfectly lighting the path ahead. Soon, they encountered ten diverging paths; nine were traps, and one was the actual passage.
Kaile took his bearings and then led the way, confirming the correct direction.
After approximately ten kilometers and passing countless intersections, natural light finally appeared ahead. Even for someone of Bai Ye’s caliber, the diversity, complexity, and cruelty of the dwarves’ traps were astonishing.
“Wow! I, Robert, have returned, bringing Lord Divine Light back with me!” Robert was the first to leap out of the cave entrance. Fresh, cool air washed over them.
Ahead lay a flat, small valley, enclosed by mountains on three sides and a cliff on one. Within the valley was a small lake, and a small river flowed from the mountains, through the lake, and cascaded down the cliff.
A small village was built around the lake. Wisps of smoke curled from many houses, figures moved within the rooms, and the sounds of children’s laughter occasionally echoed throughout the valley.
“Hey! Robert, you little brat, bragging again! Be careful you don’t lose your front teeth!”
“Captain Kaile, was the journey smooth?”
Two youths jumped down from the trees near the cave entrance, a boy and a girl. Watching the figures emerging from the cave one after another, with no one missing, their faces filled with joy.
“Bragging? What am I bragging about!” Robert, immediately defensive, jumped over and grabbed the two, pointing at Bai Ye at the very rear. “Bell, Kiki, open your eyes wide and see who this is! Isn’t this the Lord Divine Light our prophet spoke of?”
“On the way, we encountered a large group of demons, and it was Lord Divine Light who saved us…”
Dwarves, upon reaching adulthood, were only about a meter tall. Bai Ye stood at over 1.8 meters, and the snake woman was also a tall figure of over 1.7 meters. Among the group of dwarves, they already stood out. Without Robert’s reminder, as Bai Ye and the snake woman emerged, Bell and Kiki’s happy faces gradually turned to shock and amazement!
“Lord Divine Light!”
“Lord Divine Light has truly come to save our dwarf tribe!”
“Tribe Leader, Prophet! Lord Divine Light is here!”
Upon hearing of Bai Ye’s arrival, the entire small village erupted in excitement. Villagers, men and women, old and young, came out, hundreds of them bowing with immense excitement.
Leading them was an old man with a large beard, wearing a helmet that could stand upright and carrying two large black hammers on his back. Beside him was an old woman, completely hidden within her cloak, holding a staff. It was evident she was the prophet of the dwarf tribe.
After understanding the full story from Kaile and Robert, the entire dwarf tribe became even more excited and enthusiastic. The old tribe leader immediately ordered a hunt. A young warrior, with a fierce cry, set off and soon returned with a ground dragon over ten meters long.
Wash the pot, set up the fire, and let’s feast.
Bai Ye, alone in this foreign world, felt a flicker of familiarity!
By the lake, in the most scenic spot, the tribe leader, the prophet, and a few of the tribe’s strongest warriors accompanied Bai Ye.
The prophet, an old woman named Kailim, prostrated herself three times, kowtowing deeply. “So, Lord Divine Light is also the Lord of Ice. Your strength far surpasses what this old woman could predict. No wonder our tribe searched for so many years but could not find you.”
“Please, Lord, forgive our disturbance, and please save our dwarf tribe.”
The bearded tribe leader, Stuivic, along with the strongest warriors, also prayed, “May light eternally prevail. Please, Lord Divine Light, have mercy on our dwarf tribe and save us.”
The snake woman sat beside Bai Ye, silently eating. Bai Ye glanced at the prophet Kailim. Honestly, he was quite interested in this ability of prediction, but due to his ‘superior’ status, he was too embarrassed to directly ask for consultation.
“The demons will be driven out sooner or later, and this world will eventually belong to us!” Bai Ye declared. His words instantly electrified the dwarves, their eyes shining with excitement.
“However…” Bai Ye continued, his tone shifting, “the civilization and revival of a tribe are not the work of one person, but the continuous struggle and growth of every member of the tribe, ultimately uniting into one force to propel the race forward.”
“Yes! Lord Divine Light is right!”
“As expected of Lord Divine Light, your thoughts and strength have reached a level we can hardly comprehend!” Tribe Leader Stuivic and Prophet Kailim, along with the tribesmen, excitedly beat their chests, expressing extreme joy and agreement.
“Lord Divine Light, please forgive this old man’s foolishness,” Tribe Leader Stuivic said humbly. “What should be our tribe’s next plan?” The surrounding dwarves eagerly pricked up their ears to listen.
A faint smile flickered across Bai Ye’s face. “Concentrate efforts on developing magical artifacts, enhance the combat power of our warriors, and then, engage the demons in guerrilla warfare!”
“You need not worry about the seven Demon Kings; I will deal with them. But those minor demons, they will be your responsibility. Therefore, you’d best forge SS-class magical artifacts and cultivate Demon King-level powerhouses!”
Encountering this dwarf tribe, Bai Ye suddenly had a new idea. Perhaps he didn’t need to lurk in the shadows and pull strings. He could also lead the dwarves to consume and contain the demon race’s strength, giving Blue Star more time to develop.