Chapter 421 - 333: The Feathered Serpent God’s "Collection
Chapter 421: Chapter 333: The Feathered Serpent God’s "Collection
"When I used to see the Feathered Serpent God, it would always rest its body here," the High Priest said, poking at the bone fragments on the ground with his Bone Staff while peering into the cave. "Although it never let me use a torch, the green light from its eyes alone was enough to reveal its position."
"It always rested here?" Shire turned and scanned the cavern. The space was vast. He had seen the size of the Feathered Serpent God, and this cave was certainly more than spacious enough for it.
"Yes. I never paid it any mind before, but after we lit the torches today and brightened the place up, I suddenly noticed this." The High Priest used the Bone Staff in his hand to draw a circle, motioning for Shire to look at the ground.
Shire scanned the area and, sure enough, found that this patch of ground had far fewer bone fragments and Snake Sheddings. The ground itself was even a layer lower than in other parts of the cave. "If what you say is true, it looks like the Feathered Serpent God liked to always lie here."
"So I came over to take a look, and that’s when I discovered this hole in the ground."
"But why would the Feathered Serpent God block this opening?" Shire took a torch from a subordinate, thrust it into the hole, and peered inside. "Its body is way too big to fit."
A massive Evil God couldn’t possibly squeeze into a hole only a meter high. Shire frowned. ’Or perhaps, there’s something else in here, something the Feathered Serpent God was guarding, trying to keep you from finding it.’
"Guarding?" The High Priest was stunned for a moment. "What could it be guarding? A snake egg?"
"A single snake can’t lay an egg on its own, I’d imagine," Shire chuckled. "Unless there’s another, smaller snake living in there."
"That would be trouble. It could be dangerous." The High Priest immediately extended his Bone Staff, blocking Shire’s path. "Chief, you need to leave first."
"That’s just a theory of mine," Shire said, pushing down the High Priest’s Bone Staff. "But you’re right. We do need to be cautious."
’We’ve finally taken the entire Feathered Serpent Kingdom after so much trouble. If things go south now, the losses would be immense.’
Shire then ordered Buck Teeth to immediately take some goblins back to the Fortress and bring back a few Fulu to see if they could sense an evil aura.
"I hope it’s not another Giant Snake," Shire said, waving his hand to signal the other goblins to search more quietly. "If it is a Giant Snake, it might still be okay. It’s winter, so it’s likely hibernating."
A while later, a Fulu was finally brought over. With it came the little goblin, Mountain Xi’ao.
"Bro, you really conquered this Kingdom!" Mountain Xi’ao landed excitedly on Shire’s shoulder, his eyes sparkling as he looked around. "What is this place? A dining hall?"
"Mm-hm," Shire glanced sideways at the ’curious tyke’ on his shoulder. "You’ve got a mouth on you. By all means, say more."
Mountain Xi’ao froze for a second, then he seemed to realize something. His gaze swept over the goblins, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that."
"This was the Feathered Serpent God’s lair. You should know by now what these bone fragments are," Shire said with a sigh.
"So many... Just how many did it eat?" Mountain Xi’ao clicked his tongue. His wings drooped, and his whole being seemed to dim.
He had lived among Shire’s people for two months and had gradually gotten to know these goblins. By now, the little goblins and the Centaurs had accepted the idea that goblins weren’t an evil Race of the forest. But seeing so many remains at once was still hard for Mountain Xi’ao to stomach.
"Fortunately, the Feathered Serpent God has been driven away," Shire comforted the little goblin on his shoulder. "This is a goblin settlement now, and in the future, it will be a city for all the races of the forest."
"A city? My sister told me about them! When we went to Black Lion City, I could only peek out from under my hood, so I never really got to explore. If you’re going to build a city here, Bro, you have to save a house for me!" Mountain Xi’ao’s mood immediately switched to excitement. He was still young and easily influenced.
"Only if your parents and sister agree," Shire said with a smile. He then glanced to the side and saw the High Priest’s stunned expression. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is the little goblin, Mountain Xi’ao."
"A forest sprite... a free singer of the woods, a kind friend to plants, a follower of the righteous." The High Priest gripped his Bone Staff, his voice trembling slightly.
The High Priest’s words made Mountain Xi’ao a bit bashful. He ran a hand through his hair, lowered his head, and said, "Well, not really... but you’re right, that is us little goblins. And I’m the most amazing one of them all."
"This is the High Priest of the Goblin Kingdom," Shire said, gently tapping Mountain Xi’ao’s head with his finger. "Don’t listen to him. He’s always this excitable."
"What do you mean? I took down a Fallen Druid with my own two hands!" Mountain Xi’ao declared, straightening his hair.
"A Fallen Druid?" The High Priest was once again stunned. "You mean a renegade Druid from the Church?"
"That’s right. A Druid from the Earth and Life Church told me so personally. My bro here can vouch for me."
"Alright, we really did rely on your ’Heaven-Shocking Sword’ back then," Shire interrupted them irritably, then waved at the Fulu cowering to the side. "Come over here and take a look for me."
Seeing that Shire had important business, Mountain Xi’ao tactfully shut up. But he caught the High Priest’s eager gaze and whispered, "I’ll tell you later how heroic my bro and I were."
"Great... Hero..." The Fulu floated over, trembling. Its two eyestalks drooped listlessly. Ever since entering the cave, it had been staring at the vast expanse of bone fragments, recognizing that they weren’t from forest animals. It was so scared it wanted to immediately jet away and fly out of the cave.
"Help me see what’s in here," Shire said, pointing at the hole in the ground.
The Fulu obediently approached the entrance. It didn’t even try to haggle, instead trembling as it floated two meters into the opening.
"I don’t feel anything evil. On the contrary," the Fulu floated quickly out of the hole, one eyestalk turning back curiously, "I feel a powerful aura. It’s scorching hot... and it’s good."
"So you’re saying there’s no Giant Snake in there?" Shire mused, rubbing his chin and staring into the hole.
"Bro, could this be the Feathered Serpent God’s real nest?" Mountain Xi’ao flew off Shire’s shoulder and hovered at the entrance.
"I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem that dangerous." Shire nodded, then called out a few of his subordinates by name to enter the hole with him. The other goblins were left behind in the cavern to continue their search.
The passage had a low ceiling, so they only brought a few torches. After advancing a short distance, they arrived in a small chamber.
It was a circular chamber, just over four meters high. The surrounding walls showed few signs of being artificially worked, suggesting it was a natural grotto.
In the middle of the chamber was a three-meter-wide pool filled with a yellowish-green liquid. In the center of the pool stood a white egg, one meter tall.
"The Feathered Serpent God’s egg?" the High Priest cried out. He never expected to actually find an egg here.
"No, I don’t think so." Shire frowned. He wasn’t studying the white egg, but was instead looking down at the yellowish-green liquid in the pool.
’This stuff... it’s actually the Feathered Serpent God’s venom?’ He learned what the yellowish-green liquid was through his interface, simultaneously waving for everyone to be extremely careful and stay back.
"No wonder the Feathered Serpent Evil God didn’t use its venom during the fight; it was using it all here." Shire looked up at the center of the pool, where the white egg rested securely, steeping in the venom.
’Interesting. Was the Feathered Serpent God trying to soften the eggshell with its venom, or was it trying to let the venom seep into the egg and kill the creature inside?’ The corner of Shire’s mouth quirked up in a satisfied smile.
And before his eyes, the name of the one-meter-tall egg appeared.
[Phoenix Egg (Mythical Creature)]