Chapter 136: Tribal Civilization and Infant Offerings

After more than half an hour of conversation, and with the couple filling in each other's gaps, Song Qi finally understood the current situation.

The couple were the son and daughter-in-law of the chieftain of the Longhe Tribe, which explained why they were so well-informed. The territory they currently occupied was known as the Divine Kingdom. It was established by several supreme deities and stretched across vast lands, spanning thousands of miles. These deities reigned over everything within the Divine Kingdom. The entire human race of the Third Continent lived under their rule. There were hundreds of such human settlements, each housing tens of thousands of people like the Longhe Tribe, scattered throughout the Divine Kingdom.

The deities provided a certain level of protection to ensure the human race would not go extinct, while simultaneously forbidding them from killing or attacking one another. In return, the humans were required to submit fixed amounts of tribute at regular intervals every year. The humans here knew only that their ancestors had come from another continent, and they continued to share the same language and script, yet they had no idea of their true origin.

Furthermore, although the humans here had not embarked on the path of formal class advancement, they had discovered an alternative path to transcendence. Using herbs native to the Third Continent as supplementary materials and the essence of monsters as the primary ingredient, they crafted a special medicinal bath that allowed humans to undergo a degree of blood-swapping, thereby gaining extraordinary power. Depending on the strength of the monster used, the power gained from the blood-swapping varied.

Those capable of lifting a thousand-pound boulder were known as Beast-Blood Warriors, while those who could lift ten thousand pounds were called Barbarian-Blood Warriors. However, the cost of this blood-swapping was a significant reduction in lifespan. While a normal person in this land could live to be over ninety and remain energetic, a Beast-Blood Warrior’s lifespan was reduced to around sixty, and a Barbarian-Blood Warrior’s average lifespan was merely forty years.

They knew little about God-Blood Warriors, only that they were incredibly powerful, held high positions, and were great beings who served the supreme deities directly. They were fortunate enough to see the true form of a God-Blood Warrior only once a year when they came to collect tribute, or when God-Blood Warriors appeared to protect their human tribes from invasions by other deities. Compared to the rest of the Divine Kingdom, their territory was considered the countryside.

The couple lived in the Longhe Tribe, located in the Manyu Mountains. Originally, there were six tribes, each with their own territory, similar populations, and comparable strength, allowing them to coexist in peace. But ten years ago, the chieftain of the Shanhu Tribe suddenly claimed to have received a revelation from the gods and began a campaign of conquest. This chieftain was the one they referred to as the "Witch Master." He called himself the "Great Witch," claiming to be the lord of all shamans, capable of communicating with the gods and destined to rule over all the tribes.

He treated the people of other tribes like livestock, hunting them down. If children were discovered, they were rounded up and dragged back to the Shanhu Tribe for brutal, inhumane live sacrifices. This was the reason the couple had mistaken Song Qi and Chu Shaojiang for the Witch Master’s subordinates, as they had recently been hunted by the Shanhu Tribe.

Hearing this, Song Qi asked curiously, "Wait, didn't you say the six tribes were all roughly equal in strength? Why is the Shanhu Tribe able to take on the other five by itself?"

The man sighed. "The Divine Envoy may not know this, but the Witch Master somehow managed to become a Barbarian-Blood Warrior in a very short time. Even if all the commoners in our other five tribes were Beast-Blood Warriors, we still couldn't resist him."

The woman nodded in agreement. "The power of a Barbarian-Blood Warrior is truly terrifying. Ordinary Beast-Blood Warriors like us cannot contend with them. Even our Longhe Tribe’s chieftain could barely hold him off for a few minutes." She then gave a self-deprecating smile. "Fortunately, we sent a request for help to the Divine Kingdom a month ago. That is how we came to wait for your arrival, Divine Envoy."

Song Qi nodded. It seemed only within this Divine Kingdom were there traces of human survival. Moreover, as long as the tribute remained consistent, the deities and their God-Blood Warriors generally did not concern themselves with the affairs of small tribes. Meeting Song Qi was purely an unexpected stroke of luck for them.

Song Qi pondered for a moment. "By these standards, a Beast-Blood Warrior is roughly equivalent to a fully-equipped class-based warrior above level 20. A Barbarian-Blood Warrior is equivalent to a fully-equipped class-based warrior above level 40. A level 40 warrior can ravage five tribes? The strength of a God-Blood Warrior probably isn't that much higher; even at level 60, they would still be weak. Their classes are too singular, and they lack coordination. Looking at it this way, the strength of the humans here is pitifully low."

"So, the so-called 'deities' in the Divine Kingdom are just those monsters that have mastered the rules? Interesting... The monsters have actually become the protectors of the human race and even granted themselves the title of deities. But what is their goal?" He looked at the couple and asked, "By the way, have you handed over this year's tribute yet?"

At this, the two became visibly nervous. "Divine Envoy, this... the Shanhu Tribe has already abducted most of our children and pregnant women, so we haven't gathered enough yet. According to custom, we shouldn't have to pay tribute for another six months. When the time comes, we will certainly submit it on schedule!"

Song Qi found this strange. Why were they being incoherent? He asked about the tribute, and they talked about children and pregnant women being abducted? Wait! A terrifying thought flashed through his mind. Could it be...

"So you mean to say you haven't prepared the infants for this year yet?"

"Forgive us, my lord!" The two immediately lowered their heads, fearing punishment. The little girl followed suit.

Song Qi’s expression turned somber. Their answer confirmed his suspicion. "As I thought, those so-called 'deities' have no good intentions. They are farming the human race like livestock? What kind of 'Divine Kingdom' is this? It’s clearly a large-scale human breeding farm. That bullshit blood-swapping method that shortens lifespans was probably released by those monsters on purpose. It prevents humans from finding the true path to transcendence while leading their most talented individuals down a crooked path. By the time they finally realize the truth, they have no lifespan left. It completely eliminates any possibility of the humans on this continent rising up in rebellion."

"But... why do these two seem to have no reaction to this kind of 'tribute'?"

After a moment of thought, Song Qi told the three to look up. "Let’s go. Take me there. I want to see your tribe, and I also want to see exactly how strong this Witch Master of the Shanhu Tribe really is."

He wanted to see the lives led by the humans here and what exactly this "tribute" looked like. Furthermore, he strongly suspected that the Witch Master’s actions were likely instigated by one of the "deities." The purpose of inciting a civil war was to reduce the human population, making them easier to control.

Upon hearing this, the couple was filled with joy. "Thank you, Divine Envoy!"