Chapter 370: Crystalveil Tribe

Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Crystalveil Tribe

Chapter 370: Crystalveil Tribe

The savage warriors were completely stunned.

A young man had just caught the descending, heavy bone club with his bare hand, stopping its crushing momentum as if it were nothing more than a falling leaf.

Rhain didn’t even look at the savage whose club he was holding. He just turned his head slightly toward Lyra with a stern expression.

"You," Rhain said, his tone completely indifferent to the danger around them, "are far too reckless."

The savage leader snapped out of his daze.

"You bastard! Let go!" he roared, his eyes turning bloodshot as he frantically tried to yank his weapon back.

Rhain finally shifted his gaze. His dark grey eyes locked onto the savage, looking right through him as if he were staring at a dead man.

With a casual twist of his wrist...

CRACK!

The heavy bone club was shattered.

Before the brawny man could even register the loss of his weapon, Rhain threw a brutal punch.

BANG!

The fist connected squarely with the savage leader’s chest.

The man’s ribcage caved in instantly. His entire body was blasted backward like a cannonball, flying a full thirty feet before slamming into the gorge wall.

Chunks of rock and shattered bone sprayed across the mud.

He was dead before he even slid to the ground.

The remaining savages stood there in a daze, still holding their weapons without lowering them.

They looked at the crater in the wall.

"He... he killed the boss without any resistance?!"

Rhain didn’t give them time to think.

Swoosh—!

He vanished from his spot.

Even with his cultivation suppressed, his purely physical speed was incomprehensible to these mid-stage Spirit Manifestation thugs.

He appeared directly in front of the nearest savage and delivered a sweeping kick.

Bang!

The man’s neck snapped.

Rhain turned smoothly, dodging a frantic spear thrust, and drove his elbow into another savage’s sternum.

Crack!

It was a total massacre.

The savages didn’t even have the chance to run. In barely ten seconds, the entire squad of warriors was reduced to lifeless corpses scattered across the muddy path.

Rhain slowly lowered his fist, he hadn’t even broken a sweat.

Up on the ridge, Karsten and the mercenaries watched as Rhain brutally slaughtered all savages without a single shred of mercy with horror.

This man truly didn’t care whether it was a human or a beast, as long as they were against him, he would kill them all.

The rescued women and children, realizing that the horrific threat had been annihilated in the blink of an eye, fell to their knees in the mud.

"Thank you! Thank you, milord! Thank you, milady!" they wept, kowtowing repeatedly.

Rhain ignored the weeping.

At this moment, a young girl stepped forward from the trembling group. She had a beautiful face, though it was currently smeared with dirt and tears.

"Thank you, benefactors," she spoke in an elegant tone, bowing deeply. "My name is Anya. I am the daughter of the Crystalveil Tribe’s Chieftain."

Rhain looked at her. "Who were those men?"

Anya pointed a shaking finger at the mangled corpses in the mud.

"They belong to the Bone Skull Tribe," she explained bitterly. "They are an evil, overwhelmingly powerful faction in this realm. They have been mercilessly hunting and oppressing our people for decades..."

Up on the ridge, Karsten and the mercenaries finally slid down the muddy slope, staring at the pile of dead savages in awe.

Anya paused, blinking her large eyes as she looked at Rhain, Lyra, and the arriving mercenaries. She could easily tell from their refined clothes and their unfamiliarity with the Bone Skull Tribe that they were not from around here.

"Ah... you are not from around here, are you?" Anya asked softly, a hint of something different in her gaze.

"We are newcomers," Rhain replied evenly.

"Then you must come with us," Anya offered with an enthusiastic smile. "The wastelands are not clean or safe, especially now that you have killed men from the Bone Skull Tribe. Our village is hidden. Please, let us offer you our hospitality as thanks."

He glanced at Lyra and Karsten. Their essence was completely sealed, they had no map, and they still didn’t understand the true objective of this seemingly ruleless trial. Gathering intelligence in a safe haven was the most rational move.

"Lead the way," Rhain said.

Guided by Anya, the group navigated swiftly through the canyons that seemed entirely barren.

But after an hour of walking, Anya led them through a narrow opening in the rock wall.

As they stepped through the threshold, the environment transformed completely.

A hidden paradise unfolded before their eyes.

Lush, vibrant greenery covered a massive valley.

Crystal-clear streams flowed through beautifully carved stone pavilions, and the spiritual essence in the air, while useless to them at the moment, was dense and refreshing.

It was a luxurious sanctuary completely hidden from the desolate wasteland outside.

As they walked into the tribe, the guards and tribespeople looked at them with wide eyes.

"Young mistress Anya is back!"

"Who are those outsiders!"

Before long, heavy footsteps echoed through the valley. A towering, battle-scarred man rushed out from the main gate or the pavallion.

The pressure radiating from his imposing frame was undeniable.

Peak Core Formation Realm!

"Anya!" the man roared, his fierce eyes softening with overwhelming relief as he pulled his daughter into a tight embrace.

"Father!" Anya wept, burying her face into his broad chest.

After a brief, emotional reunion, Anya wiped her tears and quickly explained everything that had happened. The ambush, the Bone Skull warriors, and the man who had effortlessly slaughtered them all without using a single drop of essence.

The Chieftain’s eyes widened as he listened to his daughter.

He turned his gaze toward Rhain, meticulously evaluating the youth standing calmly before him.

As a man who had fought brutal, life-and-death wars for decades, the Chieftain knew perfectly well what it meant to obliterate late-stage Spirit Manifestation warriors using only raw physical strength.

This youth was definitely not an ordinary person.

With a respectful posture, the Chieftain walked to Rhain.

Before his entire tribe, the imposing man dropped into a deep bow, bending at an impeccable ninety-degree angle.

"You saved my daughter’s life," the Chieftain spoke with sincerity. "The Crystalveil Tribe owes you an unpayable debt. From this day forth, you are our most honored guest."

Rhain swept a glance over the bowing Chieftain and the surrounding tribespeople.

He merely gave a nod.

"There is no need for such formalities," Rhain stated, "We simply acted on what we saw."

He looked at the towering Chieftain.

"However, as you can see that my group and I are not from these lands," Rhain continued, getting straight to the point. "We came here unexpectedly and have lost our bearings. If possible, we would like to know more about this place."

The Chieftain slowly straightened his posture.

He looked at Rhain, Lyra, and the merceneries behind him, quickly understanding the implication.

Any expert of this caliber who did not know of the Bone Skull Tribe was clearly an outsider from beyond their desolate canyons.

The Chieftain gave a understanding nod.

"You have come to the right place," the Chieftain spoke, his voice carrying a hearty warmth. "The wasteland outside is unforgiving, and you have already shed blood on our behalf. Please, come inside our tribe. Rest from your long journey. We shall provide you with food, shelter, and all the answers you seek."

Standing slightly behind her father, Anya looked up at Rhain and Lyra.

Her large, dirt-smudged eyes sparkled with deep gratitude. She looked at them hopefully, silently pleading for her saviors to accept the invitation and stay.

Rhain turned his head slightly.

He exchanged a brief, silent glance with Lyra.

She was clearly fatigued from the earlier confrontation in the mud. She gave a faint nod of agreement.

Gathering intelligence was the most rational move they could make to understand the rules of this strange third trial.

Rhain turned his placid gaze back to the expectant Chieftain.

"It would be our honor," Rhain replied politely.