Chapter 1246: Divine Authority

Chapter 1245: Divine Authority

Three days later, at the grand ceremony of the Shugu Tribe.

Lu-Gu was officially crowned as the new Great Chieftain of the Shugu Tribe.

Before the eyes of countless onlookers, Mo Hua stood at the highest seat, and in his capacity as the Shaman, carrying the Divine-Lord’s decree and the will of the Shugu ancestors, personally handed the white bone scepter—symbol of the tribe’s supreme authority—to Lu-Gu.

The towering and powerful Lu-Gu knelt on one knee before Mo Hua, accepting the scepter with the utmost reverence.

From that moment, Lu-Gu, once a Great General of the tribe, ascended in a single leap to become the Great Chieftain of the entire third-grade major tribe—the Shugu Tribe—holding the highest military power.

And Mo Hua became the tribe’s spiritual symbol.

Lu-Gu held military power.

Mo Hua embodied divine authority.

And divine authority—stood above all powers.

At the time, war still raged and famine spread beyond the borders. Though the ceremony was not overly grand, there were still hundreds of thousands of tribesmen gathered to witness it.

These barbarian cultivators personally witnessed the transfer of power within the Shugu Tribe.

They witnessed the birth of the new Great Chieftain.

And they also witnessed, for the first time upon the land of the Great Wilderness, the emergence and flourishing of what Mo Hua represented—Divine Authority.

In unison, the crowd bowed and shouted:

“Long live the Shugu Tribe!”

“Long live the Great Chieftain!”

“Blessed be the wise Lord Shaman!”

“Immortal be the Divine-Lord!”

Countless voices joined together, merging like rivulets into a vast sea—thundering like a tidal wave, shaking mountains and earth, reverberating across heaven and earth for a long time.

Thus, after careful planning and maneuvering, Mo Hua had, for the first time upon the Great Wilderness, achieved the unification of a great tribe under Divine Authority.

…

Afterward, as he took time to consolidate the Shugu Tribe’s strength, the influence of Mo Hua’s Divine Authority underwent another qualitative transformation.

Under his command, the number of barbarian cultivators had grown rapidly—now numbering more than eight hundred thousand.

Among them, there was only one cultivator at the late Golden Core stage, the former Great General of the Shugu Tribe, now its Great Chieftain, Lu-Gu.

Three were at mid-stage Golden Core—including Chi Feng and two elder ministers of the Shugu Tribe.

Dan-Zhu, though only at early Golden Core, after enduring countless battles, possessed a strength comparable to most mid-stage golden-core cultivators.

Aside from these, there were over seventy other early Golden Core cultivators.

The Abyssal-Bone Heavy Armor troops numbered six hundred.

Seven thousand elite barbarian soldiers at the Foundation Establishment peak.

A hundred and fifty thousand ordinary barbarian soldiers.

The remaining six hundred thousand were non-combatants—workers, the elderly, the weak, the sick, and above all, the countless barbarian slaves that formed the majority of the tribe’s population.

At its height, the Shugu Tribe had over two million people.

But now—famine had claimed many; civil wars between tribes had claimed more; and their decisive battle with the Wujiao Tribe had slaughtered yet another wave.

Add in the chaos of heaven and man—natural disasters, rebellion, and despair—many tribes had collapsed and scattered.

Some generals, like Can-Gu, refused to submit to Lu-Gu and had defected, seizing their own territories.

Thus, by the time Lu-Gu took power as Great Chieftain, the population had already shrunk drastically.

Yet this was the year of great famine—every tribe was losing people. Death plagued the land, and survival itself had become a question.

In such desolate times, the Shugu Tribe’s population of eight hundred thousand still made it one of the most powerful third-grade major tribes in existence.

With the right strategy, it could become a decisive force—perhaps even enough to alter the fate of the Great Wilderness itself.

Mo Hua was already planning to use his Divine Authority to command the Shugu Tribe, to expand its borders and grow its strength.

However—before any expansion could begin, a far more urgent problem arose:

Food shortage.

More people meant greater strength.

But more people also meant greater consumption.

Feeding eight hundred thousand mouths was a daunting task.

Cultivators could endure hunger for long periods—but not forever. Prolonged starvation would still weaken their vital energy, and unrest would surely follow.

This was a problem that only Mo Hua could solve.

As for Lu-Gu and his warriors—fighting and killing were their expertise, but solving the issue of rations was beyond their comprehension.

Their thought process could be summed up in two words: kill and loot.

If driven to extremes, they would even resort to eating their barbarian slaves.

The food crisis was not only the greatest issue now—but would remain so for a long time to come.

Mo Hua’s original intention had been to find a place to settle and cultivate the land.

Though farming in the Great Wilderness was fraught with countless difficulties, it was perhaps the only viable path for survival under his Senior Martial Uncle’s Great Famine Formation.

If the vitality of the earth could not be stirred, if the soil could not be made fertile—if no crops could be grown—then all barbarian cultivators of the Great Wilderness were destined to die sooner or later.

And only by reviving the earth’s vitality—using cultivation of the land to nurture the land itself—could they resist the ever-spreading famine.

But that grand vision was no task of a single day. It would require vast effort and time—a long-term endeavor unable to quench immediate hunger.

The most urgent task right now was to obtain a batch of supplies that could swiftly resolve the crisis at hand.

Otherwise, forget expansion—even the newly united Shugu Tribe might fall apart before long.

…

After pondering for a while, Mo Hua decided to inspect the Shugu Tribe’s treasury—to see whether any stored provisions could serve as emergency supplies.

The Shugu Tribe’s main treasury was guarded with utmost strictness, managed solely by the Elders’ Council.

And the authority to open the treasury—belonged to the newly appointed Grand Chieftain, Lu-Gu.

Mo Hua requested Lu-Gu’s permission, and Lu-Gu agreed without hesitation.

Now, Mo Hua was the tribe’s Lord Shaman, a figure who not only represented the Divine-Lord’s will, but also carried the trust of the ancestors, the renown of his late brother, and his own ambitions.

Lu-Gu obeyed Mo Hua’s words without question.

Moreover, since Lu-Gu had only just ascended as Grand Chieftain, he had never personally inspected the treasury before. Thus, he accompanied Mo Hua himself, heading to the great hall deep within the tribe’s headquarters.

Lu-Gu held the white-bone staff, verified his authority as Grand Chieftain, and personally led Mo Hua into the Shugu Tribe’s grand treasury.

Yet upon entering, Mo Hua’s brows knit slightly.

Even Lu-Gu’s expression froze in disbelief.

There was far too little inside—the shelves were mostly empty, and many of the ancestral scrolls were missing. The whole place looked as if it had been looted.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but look toward Lu-Gu.

Lu-Gu’s brows furrowed tightly. He summoned an elder and demanded coldly, “Where is the treasury?”

The elder stammered, not daring to speak.

Lu-Gu’s face darkened further. “If you won’t talk, I’ll have your head cut off.”

Lu-Gu was a man whose authority was absolute—his threats were never idle.

Mo Hua’s gaze turned cold as well.

The elder immediately fell to his knees and said, “Forgive me, Lord Shaman, Grand Chieftain—those treasury goods… were taken away by the former Grand Chieftain.”

Lu-Gu’s tone was icy. “The tribal treasury is bound by ancestral law. Even as Grand Chieftain, he had no right to empty it for himself…”

“It wasn’t for himself,” the elder whispered. “It was… for trade.”

“Trade?” Lu-Gu frowned.

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered. “What was he trading for?”

The elder replied, “Some… pills.”

As Mo Hua expected. He then ordered, “Where are the pills? Take me to see them.”

“Yes…”

The treasury elder dared not conceal anything. He personally led Mo Hua and Lu-Gu through several corridors until they reached a sealed chamber.

Inside, rows upon rows of bottles filled the shelves.

Mo Hua stepped forward, picked up one, and examined it. The surface was blank—no markings, no designs.

He opened it, took out a pill, sniffed it, and then even tasted it himself.

The ingredients were poor-quality—and it tasted terrible.

Indeed, it was the same batch of Fasting Pills produced by the Hua Clan—the very same kind he had seized in the oasis before.

Mo Hua’s gaze darkened slightly.

That confirmed it, the former Grand Chieftain of the Shugu Tribe had long been colluding with the Hua Clan, secretly trading with them for quite some time.

Lu-Gu’s face filled with rage as he seized the treasury elder by the throat and barked: “You mean to tell me all our treasury stores and ancestral scrolls were traded for this garbage?!”

The elder smiled bitterly. “I had no choice. The late Grand Chieftain said the famine would worsen… and though these bottles look plain, each pill inside is worth its weight in gold. He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“These pills could save lives—or be traded for wealth.”

“So, he exchanged over half the treasury for these… Fasting Pills.”

Lu-Gu cursed furiously, “That old fool! He squandered the tribe’s entire heritage!”

But Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed in thought.

This trade was not as simple as it seemed.

Yes, during a famine, Fasting Pills were valuable, but not that valuable. No one would bankrupt their entire tribe for them.

Especially not a Grand Chieftain.

For him to risk everything to buy so many pills from the Hua Clan… there must have been a deeper secret.

Lu-Gu’s death was likely tied to it.

And there had to be more hidden truths beyond that.

It seemed the Hua Clan’s exploitation of the Great Wilderness wasn’t just about profit.

The foundation of noble families was bloodline, but their survival relied on interest.

If a family wished to grow and prosper, it needed endless profit.

Manipulating wars, stirring chaos behind the scenes to seize spiritual stones and resources—was indeed among the most profitable means.

Yet in doing so, the Hua Clan also appeared to be collecting the Great Wilderness’ inheritances.

Skinning to the bone, draining to the marrow, nothing unusual for them.

If one intends to profit from war, naturally, anything of value must be taken—every scrap must be exploited.

The value of heritage was undeniable.

If Mo Hua were in their position, he might also have traded Fasting Pills for ancient inheritances.

But what troubled him was this… was the Hua Clan gathering the Great Wilderness’ inheritances merely as a side effect… or intentionally?

“Could it be,” he thought, “that the Hua Clan is casting a vast net across the Great Wilderness, searching for a particular ancient inheritance?”

It wasn’t impossible.

But with so few clues, Mo Hua had no idea what exactly the Hua Clan sought—nor whether his suspicion was correct.

He frowned slightly.

The game across the Great Wilderness was immense… masters hiding behind veils, countless tangled threads of power, all shrouded in mist. It was impossible to see the full picture.

Meanwhile, Lu-Gu’s face was still dark as thunder.

He had just become Grand Chieftain, only to find the tribe already stripped bare. Furious, he nearly executed the treasury elder on the spot as an example.

Fortunately, Mo Hua stopped him.

The intricate games and schemes at higher levels were far beyond what ordinary Golden Core elders could comprehend, there was no need to kill the innocent.

“Go,” Mo Hua ordered.

The treasury elder kowtowed repeatedly. “Thank you, Lord Shaman! Thank you, Grand Chieftain, for sparing me!”

Since Mo Hua had spoken, Lu-Gu said no more.

Afterward, Mo Hua ordered an inventory of the treasury, to determine what little remained.

Most importantly, he had them count the total number of Fasting Pills.

The final tally came to nearly one million bottles—a considerable number indeed.

But Mo Hua still wasn’t satisfied.

For the former Grand Chieftain, that was more than enough to sustain his tribe for a long time.

But for Mo Hua—it was far from sufficient.

Because in the eyes of the former Grand Chieftain, barbarian slaves were not people.

He only needed enough pills to feed the soldiers.

Whether the slaves lived or died—he didn’t care.

If they couldn’t be kept alive, he’d simply let them starve—or send them to die on the battlefield as cannon fodder.

That way, he’d both kill the enemy and save rations—two birds with one stone.

But Mo Hua could not do that.

To him, even the barbarian slaves were human. He intended to feed them too—to help them survive the famine.

And in the tribe, the slaves were the majority.

Thus, the consumption of Fasting Pills under Mo Hua’s rule would multiply manyfold.

A million bottles could only slightly ease the food shortage—and not for long.

The larger the tribe, the larger the problem. Mo Hua needed a more sustainable plan.

But where could more food possibly come from?

Mo Hua rubbed the empty bottle that had once contained Fasting Pills, deep in thought.

“The Hua Clan…” he murmured.

…

After leaving the treasury, Mo Hua returned to his chambers. After a moment of contemplation, he summoned Elder Ba Chuan and asked:

“Is Jin Wutu… still imprisoned?”

Elder Ba Chuan nodded. “He’s still being held in the dungeon.”

“Are the guards strict?” Mo Hua asked.

Elder Ba Chuan replied, “According to your previous orders, not very.”

Mo Hua nodded. “Good. Relax it even further these days. And also…”

After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua added, “Spread word among the people, say that Lord Lu-Gu, the new Grand Chieftain of the Shugu Tribe, has decreed a tribal amnesty. As long as the crimes aren’t capital, they can be dealt with leniently.”

“Then, in front of Jin Wutu, release a few prisoners.”

“And withdraw a few of the dungeon guards as well.”

Elder Ba Chuan didn’t understand what Mo Hua intended, but he knew that whenever the Great Shaman gave an order, all he had to do was obey.

“Yes…”

Elder Ba Chuan accepted the command and departed.

Mo Hua’s eyes darkened slightly.

…

Seven days later, in one of the Shugu Tribe’s prisons, a shadowy figure quietly slipped out.

He wore a tattered prison robe, his body covered in wounds, his skin a ghastly white—like flesh that had been flayed and regrown anew.

This man was none other than Jin Wutu.

He had once been a subordinate of Shi-Gu, but later colluded with the Bifang Tribe, betraying Shi-Gu and fleeing to the oasis to live in comfort.

It was Mo Hua who had personally captured him.

Afterward, Jin Wutu was brutally tortured by Lu-Gu, his condition miserable, but his flesh was incredibly resilient, and he stubbornly refused to die.

Mo Hua had ordered him temporarily imprisoned, but later became preoccupied with the war and hadn’t checked on him for a long time.

Now, Jin Wutu had somehow escaped the prison. He even produced a crude slave’s outfit from who-knows-where, changed clothes, and melted into the crowd vanishing amidst the bustle.

An hour later, in another corner, a completely different person appeared.

He now wore the uniform of a barbarian soldier, blending in with a patrol team, walking openly out of the tribal grounds.

Later, taking advantage of the confusion during a shift change, his figure disappeared again.

When he resurfaced, he was deep in the wilderness, inside a secluded mountain valley.

He stripped off the soldier’s clothes, tossed them aside, turned to look toward the distant Shugu Tribe, and sneered coldly, muttering:

“A bunch of idiots… think you can keep me locked up?”

“I’ll kill every last one of you sooner or later…”

After cursing, he stopped hesitating, swaggered into the valley—alone.

The valley was desolate and deathly silent.

No sound stirred anywhere nearby.

But unseen by anyone, a pair of deep, eerie eyes were quietly watching everything unfold.

(End of Chapter)