"How come you have residual energy from the Holy Stone?"
Mark was startled when he heard the old man's words, and the cup in his hand almost broke. He could actually understand what the old man said.
"Don't be surprised, the water you just drank is a soul potion I learned from the runes of the Holy Stone, which can make it easier for you to understand our culture." The old man's voice was calm and deep, as if it was an echo from ancient times.
Mark steadied the cup in his hand, carefully placed the cup on the ground, then took a deep breath, organized his words, and tried to explain his experience of contacting the Holy Stone in the words of the old man. "I... I don't know what the Holy Stone is. The energy in my body comes from the energy fragments in the Arctic Circle. That was when I was on an Arctic expedition. I found it on an ice field... It... There are also ice beasts and rebirth organizations... Then... I... I touched it..." Mark spoke intermittently, with a trace of confusion in his eyes, and gestured with his hands at the same time, as if trying to recall the scene at that time. The sun shone on Mark's face through the gap in the tree house, reflecting his slightly nervous expression.
The old man listened quietly, his eyes deep and calm, as deep as an ancient well. The light in the tree house was dim, and the air was filled with a faint herbal aroma, mixed with the old smell of the wooden house itself. The herbs piled in the corner of the wall exuded a strong earthy fragrance, which intertwined with the medicinal fragrance in the air to form a unique smell.
After listening to Mark's story, the old man frowned and fell into deep thought. He tapped the wooden stick lightly with his fingers, making a rhythmic "tap tap" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet tree house. The top of the wooden stick was carved with an eagle with its wings spread out, and the eagle's eyes were inlaid with two shining gems, reflecting a faint light in the dim light. The white animal skin robe worn by the old man was embroidered with some ancient totems, which were vague in the dim light, as if telling an ancient story.
The old man raised his head and tapped the ground lightly with the wooden stick a few times, making a dull sound.
"Mark." The old man spoke in a low tone with a hint of majesty. His voice echoed in the tree house, like an ancient bell, solemn and solemn. The sun shone through the gaps in the tree house on the old man's wrinkled face, reflecting his deep eyes and weathered face. There was a hint of wisdom and vicissitudes in his eyes, as if he saw through everything in the world.
"We have the ice beasts you mentioned here, but they are all partners we can trust, and they are gentle and will not take the initiative to hurt others."
"I will investigate this matter clearly. You rest in the tribe for one night. Tomorrow I will take you to the holy city to meet the high priest."
The elder called Toby in and asked him to take Mark to visit the tribe.
As the old man's words fell, the light in the tree house seemed to dim a little. Mark felt an inexplicable tension, as if the air was full of expectations. At this moment, a figure came in. It was Toby who had met in the forest before. He bowed to the old man and Mark, motioning Mark to follow him. Mark stood up, took one last look at the old man, and followed Toby out of the tree house with doubts. The animal skin door curtain fell behind them, blocking the dim light and faint herbal fragrance in the tree house.
It was sunny outside, and the warm light sprinkled on his body, dispelling the coldness in the tree house. Mark took a deep breath, and the fresh air with a hint of soil and plant fragrance made him feel refreshed.
Toby walked in front, leading Mark through the scattered wooden houses and walked towards the center of the tribe. The wooden houses are all built with thick tree trunks and animal skins. They have different shapes, but they are harmoniously integrated into the surrounding natural environment. The roofs are covered with thick leaves and thatch, which can effectively block wind, rain and sunlight. The walls of some wooden houses are also painted with colorful patterns. The contents of the patterns are mostly scenes of tribal life such as hunting and sacrifice, full of primitive artistic atmosphere.
As Toby walked, he introduced the customs and lifestyle of the tribe to Mark. His voice is low and magnetic, and his speech is not fast, but clear and easy to understand. Mark listened carefully and occasionally raised some questions, which Toby answered patiently.
"Our tribe's sacred stone advocates harmonious coexistence with nature." Toby pointed to the huge ice beast statue in the center of the village and said, "We sculpted this statue based on the ice beast in the holy city. It protects our land and people."
Mark followed Toby's gaze and saw that the statue was carved from a huge ice-blue stone, towering into the clouds and almost touching the sky. Under the shining starlight, the statue exuded a faint blue light, as if it itself was made of solidified moonlight and ice. Mark approached the statue, and his eyes were deeply attracted by the details of the statue.
The main body of the statue is a huge ice beast, with a majestic and solemn posture, and its four claws firmly grasping the ground, as if ready to pounce on its prey at any time. The head of the ice beast was raised high, and sharp fangs were revealed in its open mouth. Each fang was like a carefully polished dagger, flashing cold light. Its eyes are inlaid with two huge sapphires, deep and mysterious, as if they can see into people's hearts.
The scales of the statue are carved to be lifelike, and each piece is extremely delicate. From different angles, they seem to be trembling slightly, as if they will come alive in the next second. The back of the Ice Abyss Beast is decorated with complex patterns, which are composed of tiny crystals and gems. They flicker faintly in the night, like the brightest stars in the night sky.
Mark reached out and gently touched the surface of the statue. He could feel the cold power contained in the stone. This power made his fingertips numb slightly, but at the same time he felt an inexplicable sense of security. He knew that this statue was not just a work of art, it was also a symbol of tribal beliefs and a bridge for them to communicate with the spirit of nature.
The base of the statue is made of a huge black rock, engraved with the words and totems of the tribe. These words and totems are mysterious in the night. They tell the history and legends of the tribe and record their contract with the spirit of nature. There are some offerings around the base, including fresh fruits, beast heads, and some unknown plants. These offerings exude a faint fragrance, which is in sharp contrast to the cold breath of the statue.
"Our lifestyle is simple, mainly hunting and gathering." Toby continued, "We respect nature, never cut down trees indiscriminately, and only take what we need." He pointed to a field in the distance and said, "That's where we grow herbs. We use herbs to treat diseases and make some daily necessities."
Mark noticed that there were various plants planted in the fields, some of which he knew and some he had never seen. These plants exuded vitality under the sunshine.
On the way, they met a group of tribal teenagers who were conducting hunting drills. These teenagers were wearing animal skin shorts, painted with colorful paints, holding sticks and stones in their hands, and simulating hunting scenes. The teenagers imitated the movements of the ice beasts. They sometimes crawled forward and sometimes jumped to attack. Every movement was full of power and passion. Their eyes were sharp, as if they were really facing a ferocious ice beast.
Mark noticed that the boys' movements were a little immature, but full of strength and passion. They imitated not only the appearance of the ice beast, but also its soul. In this way, they tried to establish a spiritual connection with the ice beast and feel its strength and courage.
Toby stopped and explained to Mark the tribe's hunting techniques and the use of weapons. "We mainly use bows and spears for hunting." Toby pointed to the bow and arrow in a boy's hand and said, "This is a bow and arrow specially made by our tribe. It is made of a special kind of wood. It is very tough and durable, and it can allow the energy given to us by the holy stone to be output without obstacles."
Mark watched the drills of these tribal teenagers with interest. Although their movements were a little immature, they were full of strength and passion. He noticed that the bows and spears used by these teenagers were very well made. The bowstrings were made of the tendons of some animals and were very elastic; the arrowheads were made of sharpened stones or animal bones and were very sharp.
"Do you want to try it?" Toby looked at Mark and asked with a smile.
Mark nodded, indicating that he wanted to try it. Toby handed the bow and arrow to Mark and briefly explained how to use it. Mark took the bow and arrow and felt that it was heavy and the bowstring was tight. He imitated the tribal boy, pulled the bowstring and aimed at the tree trunk in the distance.
"Relax, don't be nervous." Toby instructed on the side, "Use your sense to aim, and then pour energy from your arm into the bow and arrow."
Mark took a deep breath and tried to relax himself. He aimed again and then released the bowstring. With a "whoosh", the arrow flew out, but deviated from the target and hit the grass next to it. The energy splashed and blew a hole in the grass.
Mark smiled awkwardly. He obviously underestimated the difficulty of the bow and arrow.
Seeing this, Toby came forward and patiently taught Mark the correct bow holding and shooting posture. He corrected some of Mark's wrong movements and demonstrated the correct shooting method.
"Keep your center of gravity steady and breathe evenly." Toby demonstrated and explained, "When aiming, use your eyes and your heart to feel the target."
Mark listened carefully and imitated Toby's movements carefully. He picked up the bow and arrow again, took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and aimed at the tree trunk in the distance.
With a "whoosh", the arrow flew out again, hitting the target this time, hitting a tree trunk, and a hole was pierced through the trunk.
"Hit it!" Mark shouted excitedly with a smile on his face.
Toby also smiled and nodded, expressing his approval. "Not bad, very talented."
Mark put down the bow and arrow and moved his sore shoulders. Although he hit the target, he also felt the power of the bow and arrow.
"Let's keep going." Toby said, and took the lead to continue moving forward.
Mark followed Toby through an open grassland and came to the central area of the tribe. There was an altar built of stone here, and some animal bones and skins, as well as some unknown plants were placed around the altar. There was a faint fragrance in the air, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
"This is our altar, where we hold various sacrificial activities." Toby pointed to the altar and said, "We believe that through sacrifice, we can pray for the blessing of the holy stone and express our awe of nature."
Mark nodded to show his understanding. He looked at the ancient symbols and patterns on the altar, and his heart was full of awe. He felt that the people of this tribe were full of deep respect for nature. They lived in harmony with nature and lived a simple and happy life.
"That's our meeting hall over there." Toby pointed to a larger wooden house not far away and said, "Important things in our tribe are discussed and decided there."
Mark's eyes moved with Toby's finger, and he saw the wooden house, which was larger than other buildings around it, and more animal skins and feathers were hung in front of the door, showing its importance. He could imagine that the elders of the tribe were discussing the future and fate of the tribe inside.
They continued to stroll in the tribe, and Mark felt an unprecedented tranquility and harmony. Although the people here live a simple life, their hearts are extremely rich. They live in harmony with nature and respect every life. This lifestyle deeply shocked Mark.