The Survival of the Wild Tribe

137

"Of course he isn't." Lu Zhan suddenly appeared behind them. He snatched the crystal fruit from Hei Yuan's hand and returned it to Luo Zhen, glaring at Hei Yuan with pretended ferocity. It was evident he was displeased with Hei Yuan's doubts about Luo Zhen's identity. "He's a wizard of the Sun Tribe, now and forever, and has nothing to do with the wizard palace you speak of."

Hei Yuan was merely asking casually, but he was startled by Lu Zhan's solemn response.

Due to the nearby bamboo forest, fenced off to prevent damage, this area was usually deserted, ensuring privacy.

"I don't doubt Zhenzhen," Hei Yuan whispered, motioning for them to follow to a more secluded spot.

Luo Zhen and Lu Zhan exchanged glances and followed. Before leaving, Luo Zhen instructed Lu Yi to instruct the worker ants to collect all the bamboo leaves from the dug-up bamboo and transport them to the ant's nest, with the other half sent to their current home.

The Dahu tribe members were familiar with the flame ants, understanding they wouldn't attack unless provoked. However, the sight of the ants carrying bamboo leaves unnerved the newcomers, causing them to keep their distance.

When they arrived, Hei Yuan hesitated before asking, "Do you know that Jingguo is cultivated by wizards?"

Luo Zhen shook his head, and Lu Zhan added, "We found this crystal fruit in the wild."

"The wild crystal fruit cannot leave its native habitat. If Zhenzhen hadn't tended to it, this crystal fruit wouldn't have formed," Hei Yuan explained. The crystal fruit they dug up wasn't yet mature. Mature crystal fruit emitted a distinct scent, and the one they found wasn't a complete crystal. A complete crystal would be a cloud crystal with more energy.

"I didn't tend to it much," Luo Zhen admitted. He hadn't given much care to the bamboo after initially planting it.

"The care I'm referring to doesn't mean watering and fertilizing daily," Hei Yuan clarified. "Crystal fruit is the crystallization of life energy and can absorb life energy through the wizard who tends to it."

He paused, conjuring a small cluster of orange flames between his fingertips. He previously believed that Changfeng Mountain shielded them from the Wizard Palace's influence. However, if there was a wizard cultivating crystal fruit, and especially if they could cultivate a special crystal fruit that was easier to absorb, it would become a matter of concern.

"The ability of an orc warrior to control flames typically manifests after reaching the eighth level, similar to myself," Hei Yuan explained, extinguishing the orange flame with a flick of his finger. "But wizards are different. Even among the smaller tribes in this wilderness, there are wizards born with various abilities, like the black witch of the Black Panther tribe. Though he may not cultivate crystal fruits, his abilities can enhance plant growth, enabling them to thrive in different environments. The mother-child tree in our tribe relies on the black witch's power to bear fruit."

After Hei Yuan's explanation, Luo Zhen grasped the gravity of the situation. Orc warriors need to enhance their strength through training methods, which require a substantial supply of crystal fruits.

Heiyuan used cloud crystals and cultivated crystal fruits to elevate himself to the eighth level, the highest attainable level for Wizard Palace fighters. Ninth-level fighters, a legendary status, require numerous special crystal fruits to evolve, beyond what the current Wizard Palace can provide.

There are scarce special crystal fruits cultivated in the Wizard Hall. Despite the passage of many years since its inception, there still aren't enough crystal fruits to facilitate the evolution from eighth-level to ninth-level fighters.