Chapter 147: A Glimmer of Hope

The ancient sacred mountain radiated a lingering aura of celestial wonder, and a majestic will emanated from within it, spreading instantly across the entire Snake-People tribe.

Within the tribe, tens of thousands of clansmen knelt upon the ground in fanatical devotion, their eyes filled with heartfelt reverence. That sacred mountain was the holy land in the hearts of the Snake-People, their spiritual pillar. There resided the ancient ancestors of the Snake-People.

Through countless vicissitudes of time, regardless of shifting winds and clouds, numerous races had vanished into the long river of history, yet the Snake-People race had survived and continued to multiply.

All of this was thanks to this sacred mountain and the ancestors within it. They had sheltered the Snake-People, allowing them to multiply and thrive, preventing their extinction in the long river of time. It was also because of them that humans dared not easily trespass into this domain to capture members of the tribe.

"Swish, swish!" Several figures soared into the air, heading straight for the sacred mountain. Powerful fluctuations emanated from these figures, rivaling even Elder Xuan Yin of the past.

Unexpectedly, hidden within this Snake-People tribe were several cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm!

If the Snake-People were to leave this mountain range and appear in the Qing Shui State, even the Azure Cloud Sect, backed by mysterious forces from the shadows, would likely be no match for them.

Yet now, these cultivators of the Nascent Soul realm arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain, dropped to one knee, and gazed respectfully toward its peak.

A ray of white light descended from the summit of the sacred mountain, landing in the hands of the middle-aged man in the lead. The white light transformed into a scroll. The middle-aged man cautiously put the scroll away, then quickly departed with the others.

Atop the sacred mountain, the celestial aura gradually dissipated, and the majestic will that had shrouded the entire Snake-People tribe slowly receded back into the mountain.

Within the tribe, countless Snake-People slowly rose from the ground, gazing at the now-calm sacred mountain with lingering awe and fanaticism in their eyes.

Inside a resplendent, golden palace within the tribe, numerous Snake-People had gathered. Seated at the head of the hall was the very same middle-aged man who had received the scroll earlier.

He was the current chieftain of the Snake-People, second only to the entity residing within the sacred mountain, and undisputed as the foremost figure among them. His name was Mo Feng.

Seated below him were the other Nascent Soul realm cultivators of the tribe.

Aside from these Nascent Soul cultivators, there were over a dozen others. These individuals all possessed white hair and beards, appeared quite elderly, and were dressed uniformly in white robes.

"I presume you all know that today our ancestor awakened and handed down an imperial decree. The land guarded by our Snake-People for ten thousand years shall soon open, and the treasure we have protected for generations will also manifest," Mo Feng said calmly, sweeping his gaze across the gathering in the hall.

"The scroll passed down by the ancestor was left behind by our forebears. He mentioned in it that once the land we guard for generations is opened, it will inevitably provoke a bloody storm, and our Snake-People tribe will be inevitably implicated." At this point, Mo Feng's expression grew somewhat heavy.

"Chieftain, did the scroll mention how our tribe might avert this calamity?" a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator of the Snake-People asked from below.

Hearing this, Mo Feng did not speak, merely shaking his head with a heavy expression.

At this, the hall fell silent. Everyone's expressions gradually grew solemn, and an oppressive atmosphere enveloped the chamber.

"Grand Priest, I fear we must trouble you this time. No matter what, you must find a path to survival for our tribe. This calamity threatens our very existence," Mo Feng said, looking toward an old man in white robes sitting below.

Among the dozen white-robed elders, the leading one had maintained a calm expression all along, sitting with his eyes closed in meditation. Upon hearing Mo Feng's words, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Since it concerns the life and death of our tribe, this old man will certainly spare no effort," the Grand Priest said. He slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and with a wave of his sleeve, an astrolabe flew out, hovering suspended in the center of the hall.

Forming hand seals with both hands, he pointed toward the astrolabe. A faint white glow immediately flickered across it, within which countless runes flashed.

The Grand Priest stared intently at the runes upon the astrolabe, his expression gradually growing grave. Time slowly passed, and everyone watched him with nervous tension. The future of the Snake-People was pinned upon him at this moment.

The astrolabe spun slowly, its speed increasing steadily, yet the Grand Priest's face grew increasingly solemn, fine beads of sweat gradually seeping onto his forehead.

"Fellows, please lend me your strength!" the Grand Priest suddenly shouted. A powerful aura erupted from his body, pouring formidable energy into the astrolabe, causing it to spin even faster while the runes upon it grew sharper.

At the Grand Priest's loud cry, the dozen white-robed priests behind him leaped into motion, each taking up a specific position to form an array. Forming seals with their hands, streams of spiritual light were continuously injected into the astrolabe.

The astrolabe spun, faintly emitting the sound of friction against the air. Everyone watched the spinning astrolabe with solemn expressions, their eyes filled with tension.

"Crack!" Suddenly, a soft snap rang out.

Following that, a thunderous roar echoed through the hall as the astrolabe shattered into pieces!

"Puff!" Numerous individuals coughed up blood and were sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the surrounding walls. Their complexions instantly turned deathly pale, and their auras grew extremely faint.

"Clatter!" The shattered pieces of the astrolabe fell all over the floor. Mo Feng and the others trembled slightly, looking at the broken instrument as their hearts plummeted to the abyss.

In the center of the hall, the Grand Priest stood quietly, a faint smile on his face. Seeing this, the people, whose hearts had just sunk, instantly birthed a trace of hope. Mo Feng and the others hurried to the Grand Priest's side and asked, "Grand Priest, does our tribe still have hope of escaping this disaster?"

"Our tribe still holds a sliver of vitality. This sliver of vitality rests upon a single person. As long as we find this person, our tribe will have hope of survival," the Grand Priest said.

"Then where is this person now? I shall immediately send someone to invite them here," Mo Feng said anxiously.

"Some things cannot be forced; let everything follow the flow of fate. If we force it, this sliver of vitality might also be severed," the Grand Priest replied.

"Puff!" Suddenly, a mouthful of blood sprayed forth, the Grand Priest's complexion instantly turning deathly pale as his body fell straight backward.

"Grand Priest!" The crowd cried out in shock. Mo Feng hurriedly caught the Grand Priest, reached out to check his breathing, and then shook his head with a sigh.