Chapter 1806 - 463: Ironfire Awakens, Ash Reborn (Part 3)

Chapter 1806: Chapter 463: Ironfire Awakens, Ash Reborn (Part 3)

This pain was like a malady attached to his bones, never healing, unpredictably erupting within him, constantly gnawing at his energy, making his thoughts somewhat sluggish.

He frowned slightly, instinctively raising his hand to press against his chest.

"Tiger?" The observant Ah Fen was the first to notice his oddness, trotting over and looking up at him with concern.

Tu Hu waved his hand, indicating he was fine, but the fatigue on his face was hard to disguise.

Ah Fen blinked her big eyes, seemingly having thought of something.

She turned around and ran off quickly, returning shortly with something tightly wrapped in large leaves.

Carefully opening the leaves, inside there was a small pottery jar sealed with mud.

"Here." Ah Fen handed over the jar, her eyes sparkling:

"This is fermented with flame berries and several kinds of roots... um, it’s very spicy, but drinking it will warm up your body, it’s very comfortable. Before, when someone in the clan caught a chill, drinking a little helped a lot."

Tu Hu was slightly startled, taking the jar.

He opened the mud seal, a rich fragrance of fruit wine mixed with a hint of spiciness wafted into his face.

He glanced at Ah Fen’s expectant eyes and without hesitation, took a gulp.

The liquid burned like a fiery line down his throat, then dissolved into a warm current in his stomach; the intense stimulation momentarily dispersed part of the sluggishness and hidden pain, invigorating his spirit.

Although this primitive fruit wine had a coarse and fierce taste, it could bring a temporary numbing effect, aptly alleviating his current discomfort.

"How is it?" Ah Fen asked with anticipation.

"Very good." Tu Hu exhaled a long breath, feeling the tension in his nerves ease quite a bit, he held the pottery jar in his hand, feeling the heavy care:

"This... is very useful to me, you could make more."

"No problem." Ah Fen nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with the joy of being able to ease Tu Hu’s worries.

Since that day, there was a leather wine jug around Tu Hu’s waist that he never left behind, filled with the strong fruit wine specially made by Ah Fen.

Whenever the burning pain from old wounds appeared, he would take a swig, using the fiery warm current to suppress discomfort and maintain a clear mind.

And the shadow of war did not disperse because of one small victory but grew even heavier.

The Fierce Tribe became more frequent in their harassment, though the scale was not large, it was clearly probing for weak points in their defense, draining their energy.

With the current strength of the Downspirit Clan, facing the Fierce Tribe head-on was nothing short of throwing an egg at a rock.

Tu Hu’s choice was to harness their greatest advantage: wisdom.

He shifted the war thinking from purely defending their homeland to intermittently taking the initiative to attack.

During this period, the map drawn by Ah Lü was continuously refined and updated.

Tu Hu personally led Ah Lann and a few elite soldiers, using the jungle as cover, stealthily reached the edge of the Fierce Tribe’s activity area.

They did not engage directly, only observing from afar, recording the patrol routes of the Fierce Beasts and their usual hunting and drinking paths.

After each reconnaissance, new marks were added to Ah Lü’s map.

After identifying several commonly used paths of the Fierce Beasts, Tu Hu directed the Downspirit Clan to begin setting up poison stinger traps in that region.

When small groups of Fierce Beasts stumbled into the trap zone, plunging into chaos and casualties, it was time for Ah Lann led hunting team to strike.

They would appear ghost-like from the dense forest, using metal spears to launch swift attacks from the flanks and rear, never lingering in battle, striking and retreating, maximizing the damage to the enemy’s living force before swiftly vanishing back into the jungle.

As the war grew more intense.

Tu Hu even targeted the Fierce Tribe’s survival resources.

Without exposing themselves, they sabotaged several of the Fierce Tribe’s hunting grounds and water sources, contaminating small water sources to plunge the Fierce Tribe into a resource crisis.

The advantage in this war continued to expand over time.

The Fierce Tribe had immense individual strength and numerical superiority but was like a fierce beast trapped in a quagmire, roaring in vain, each struggle bringing a new wound.

Conversely, the warriors of the Downspirit Clan, through successive successful guerrilla operations, saw their tactical acumen grow rapidly.

They began to truly understand the meaning of Tu Hu’s teaching to "use one’s strengths to attack the enemy’s weaknesses."

Ah Lann’s combat philosophy also became increasingly seasoned, able to make tactical decisions based on the battlefield situation.

The continuous harassment, ghostly raids, and ever-tightening resources finally exhausted the last of the Fierce Tribe’s patience.

They gathered all their able soldiers, like a black flood, crazily surging toward Spring Basin, attempting to initiate the final showdown.

But what they faced was a ready iron wall copper shield.

On the sturdy wooden wall, spears fell like rain.

Outside the wall was a zone of traps that could claim their lives.

When the Fierce Beasts paid a heavy price to finally approach the wall, waiting for them were corrosive liquids concocted by Ah Fen poured from the wall and cold, glinting metal spears thrust from wall holes.

This anticipated final showdown turned into a one-sided massacre.

The demoralized, famished, and thirsty Fierce Beast tribe crumbled under the Downspirit Clan’s multi-dimensional attacks that relied on defensive engineering, equipment, and tactics.

When the last Fierce Beast leader fell thunderously under Ah Lann’s accurately thrown copper spear, it symbolized the end of the Fierce Tribe’s ruling era.

Blackthorn Forest was about to welcome its ancient King.

That night, moonlight like water washed away the battlefield’s blood scent.

Tu Hu stood alone on a high slope, looking into the distance, once the clan land of the Fierce Tribe, fiery flames soaring, painting half the sky dark red.

What burned was the foundation of the enemy tribe, and the shadow that had pressed on the Downspirit Clan for decades.

He stood in silence, unfastening the wine jug from his waist, pulling out the cork, and took a big swig.

The spicy liquid rolled down his throat, bringing a numbing effect that gradually suppressed the pain, along with a sense of relief and satisfaction.

He slowly exhaled a breath of alcohol-laden air, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Slight footsteps came from behind.

Ah Lann quietly walked to his left side, deep blue scales glistening under the moonlight, still carrying the marks of battle, but with eyes of unwavering determination, already possessing the bearing of a King.

Ah Fen came bouncing to his right side, carefully holding a pottery jar one size larger than usual, a bright smile on her face, as if saying:

"Finished drinking, I have more here!"

Ah Lü stopped a step behind, saying nothing, merely unfolding a newly drawn beast skin map in silence.

The area originally marked as "Fierce Beast Clan Land" was crossed out with a bright red line.

Their shadows were elongated under the moonlight.

In the distance, a burning old era was finally giving way to the burgeoning Downspirit New Era.

Tu Hu raised the wine jug once again, this time not drinking, only lightly toasting towards the distant night sky ablaze with flames.

"To new beginnings, to... the future we build together."

Upon saying this, Tu Hu sat down, reaching out his right hand towards Ah Lann, Ah Fen, and Ah Lü.

Ah Lann withdrew her gaze from the distant flickering flames, looking at Tu Hu, then raised her right front paw solemnly laying it on the back of his hand.

Seeing Ah Lann’s action, Ah Fen blinked her gem-like big eyes, then mimicked, placing her little paw on top as well.

Ah Lü closed the beast skin map, stepping forward, placing her little paw firmly on top.

Four hands and paws of differing sizes overlapped under the cool moonlight.

"To the future!"

The ancient grudges were consumed with the distant flames, a new future quietly forged from the ashes.

The night breeze brushed over the hillside, carrying the scent of scorched earth from afar, along with the faint fragrance of new sprouting growth.