The Survival of the Wild Tribe

143

Luo Zhen was taken aback by Lu Zhan's serious tone. Lu Zhan's eyes were determined as he spoke, "You're the great witch of our tribe. You possess vast knowledge, can awaken the unconscious, and even cultivate crystal fruits infused with life energy. Even the flame ants regard you as their king. I'm still worried that I won't be worthy of you. How can such a powerful wizard be held back by someone?"

Deeply affected by Lu Zhan's words, Luo Zhen realized the gravity of the situation. "But you're right. Now is not the time to leave the tribe."

Although the Sun Tribe seemed harmonious on the surface, its establishment was too recent, and with the addition of numerous new tribes, cracks were beginning to show. Without their leader and great witch, these mixed tribes might soon fall apart. While they could appoint a new leader, they couldn't underestimate the influence of a wizard on the tribe. A tribe without a great witch couldn't last long.

"Let's give it a few more years. Once the tribe is fully stabilized and our strength improves, we can explore the beach," Lu Zhan suggested.

"Agreed."

Perhaps because they weren't sleepy, the two quietly discussed their future departure from the tribe and the arrangements for the tribe after their departure. Little did they know they would put their plans into action the following morning.

As Hei Yuan slept by the fire, he rolled over quietly, slowly opening his eyes to the dancing flames. Pulling the animal skin quilt up to his chin, he paused before closing his eyes again, emitting a soft snore.

The days passed peacefully yet busily. For the people of the Great Lakes, this winter marked the first time they didn't worry about food. Instead, they devoted themselves to learning new skills every day.

Aside from occasional trips to the Forest of Antlers and Horses, Hei Yuan focused all his energy on building the new house. Luo Zhen, busy cultivating Jingguo, often squatted nearby, observing Hei Yuan's meticulous work. Evaporating water from clay was a patient task; any misstep could result in scorched clay, affecting the durability of the walls.

Observing for several days, Luo Zhen hadn't grasped the principle behind the flames emanating from Hei Yuan's hands. But acknowledging the mysteries of the world, Luo Zhen didn't dwell on why Hei Yuan could conjure fire without combustors; he had another matter on his mind.

"Black Abyss, how hot can your flames get?"

"Temperature?" Hei Yuan paused in his work, lacking a precise concept of temperature. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Hot enough to burn a human-faced bird to ashes."

Recalling the charred remains of a human-faced bird, Luo Zhen acknowledged that Hei Yuan's flames possessed formidable heat. Not delving further, he returned home and asked Lu Zhan to fetch a bucket of mud from their usual spot for sunning mud bricks. It dawned on Luo Zhen that he could utilize ceramics, a more durable option than wood or stone for cooking vessels.

Though initially overlooked due to the distance from the river and the availability of suitable clay, ceramics became a viable option now with Hei Yuan's ability to conjure fire. Despite the winter chill, Luo Zhen couldn't resist the urge to test the temperature of Hei Yuan's flames.

Luo Zhen didn't actually know how to distinguish soil types, but the river mud they used for making mud bricks had a certain viscosity. Unsure if this soil was suitable for firing ceramics, he had no better option at the moment. His only choice was to give it a try.

The crucial step in pottery is soil preparation. Luo Zhen had visited some pottery workshops before and even attempted to shape clay by hand. While his results couldn't compare to those of professionals, he could at least manage to shape the clay into recognizable forms.