Within the basin, numerous Earth Race people were busy. Some were dealing with the wild beasts they had hunted, others were bringing out baskets woven from branches and vines, and some were setting up the Torch Festival venue. Yet some were transporting firewood. Xi Rui hadn't made another appearance, not even Tu Jie returned to his own tribe. The bustling activity of the Mountain Natives continued until dusk when it finally halted.
By now, all thirty-six tribes of the Mountain Natives had gathered in the basin. Under the arrangements of Xi Rui's men, they neatly surrounded the center of the basin, with various piles of firewood allocated to each tribe. In the very middle of the basin, there was a huge heap of firewood, reaching ten meters high with a diameter of thirty meters. This had to be the main bonfire.
Some fire piles had already begun burning around. The Mountain Natives from various tribes were showing off the various foods they brought, starting the final preparations.
