Global Dungeon: I Can See the Status Bar - Chapter 269 - 133: Oh No, I’ve Become the Dragon King (6k)_4
He remained silent for a long time, eventually speaking cautiously: “I just feel… if we use the hearts and heart blood of those five peak Earth-level Exotic Beasts for the cultivation of tribe members on the verge of a breakthrough, we might at least gain one or two more Earth-level members.”
“What about the Dragon Ancestor?”
Long Yuanhai did not erupt in anger as usual or scold his son for being disrespectful to the Dragon Ancestor; his face was simply blank.
“The Dragon Ancestor…”
Long Wensheng repeatedly mouthed those two words.
Suddenly, he took a deep breath and, as if facing judgment, roared in a low voice: “But it’s been thousands of years, where is the Dragon Ancestor? It hasn’t responded to us in the slightest! We offer these hard-earned precious resources to a Dragon Ancestor whose whereabouts and disposition are unknown, is this truly useful?”
“Of course… it’s useless.”
The elder uttered words shocking enough to rock the entire tribe.
Long Wensheng was stunned.
He looked incredulously at his father, at this High Priest of the tribe, making gasping sounds from his throat.
He never expected the other to say such a thing.
“Surprised, aren’t you?”
Long Yuanhai looked at his son and spoke indifferently.
“In fact, I realized this long ago, three hundred years ago. Sacrificing to the Dragon Ancestor, no matter how much we offer, it’s at best a comforting lie.”
“Whether the Dragon Ancestor truly exists, whether it is still alive, if it is alive, where it is, what it thinks of us, or whether the Dragon Pearl can be activated tonight — none of this is important; we don’t need to know the truth.”
“We just need to tell the tribe members that we are not devoted enough, that we need to try harder. Strive to build the tribe better, to reproduce and nurture more offspring, to create more strong warriors.”
“Then what have we been doing for these thousands of years?” Long Wensheng suddenly stood up, almost roaring, “We’ve wasted so many precious resources just to… to… just to perpetuate a deceptive facade?”
“Yes, that is exactly so.”
Long Yuanhai nodded as a matter of fact, his expression unmovable.
“Back when I was your age, when I first heard such words from the previous clan leader, I was more agitated than you, I even fought him on the spot, but I didn’t win.”
Facing such a calm father, Long Wensheng was speechless and sat back down in defeat.
After a minute of silence, he finally struggled to speak again: “Father, I… I don’t understand.”
Long Yuanhai remained as unflustered as ever and calmly explained: “It’s to give the tribe members a reason to live, a hope to struggle to survive in this world.”
“If we tell all the tribe members that the sacrificial rituals are useless, they’ll go mad, and the Divine Dragon Race would falter and vanish from this continent.”
“We have relied on the Dragon Ancestor and the Dragon Pearl as spiritual pillars for too long… so long that we can no longer part with them, even though they are only a practically useless symbolic spirit.”
“The tribe members need a visible, tangible hope, and even more so, a spiritual pillar. And the Dragon Ancestor and the Dragon Pearl are that pillar.”
“Wen Sheng, I’m pleased that you can see all of this, but for the sake of the tribe, you need to keep pretending ignorance, and to zealously maintain the devotion to the Dragon Ancestor.”
“Until you pass this on to the next clan leader or High Priest, and then take it with you to your grave.”
“The ritual is about to begin. Prepare yourself, and do not disappoint the tribe members.”
The elder’s rough hand gently patted Long Wensheng’s broad and solid back, adjusted his Priest’s robe, restored his usual majesty, and strode out majestically.
Soon after, Long Wensheng, with a devoted and cheerful smile, also walked out.
Determinedly heading towards the sacrificial rite site.
Where the eager tribe members awaited.
