Inside the house, the tribal leaders glanced at each other, but no one spoke.
Jiang Xuan surveyed the room and finally asked Chi Shao, "Witch, what’s your opinion?"
Chi Shao was silent for a moment, then said, "Since we’ll have to fight the Fierce Bird Tribe sooner or later, we might as well do it early."
"If we start the war now, we have the Mountain Turtle Tribe and several small tribes helping us. If the Fierce Bird Tribe wipes out the Mountain Turtle Tribe and those small tribes, our chances will be even lower."
Jiang Xuan nodded and said, "The Witch is right, and there’s one more thing I want to tell everyone."
"The Mountain Turtle Tribe and those small tribes aren’t strong, but they all have Guardian Gods. Once the war begins, the Vine God will deal with the Fierce Bird, and these Guardian Gods can help us against the warriors of the Fierce Bird Tribe."
"So it may seem that we are at a disadvantage, but in reality, as long as several tribes unite, we still have a chance."
Chi Shao also nodded and said, "The leader is correct. As long as those Guardian Gods join the fight, they can make up for the lack of warriors on our side."
After listening, the leaders all nodded, gaining some confidence in this battle.
Gou Teng said, "If that’s the case, then let’s fight and catch all those Fierce Birds for meat!"
"That’s right, kill them!"
"I also want to eat Fierce Bird meat."
The leaders began to speak, and the fervor for battle instantly surged.
"Alright, since everyone agrees to fight, this matter is settled."
"After you return, organize your warriors, prepare food, weapons..."
Jiang Xuan explained the preparations needed before the battle to each leader.
Then, the leaders hurriedly left the house to make the pre-war preparations according to Jiang Xuan’s orders.
Chi Shao communicated again with the Divine Vine, which seemed very calm about fighting a mid-sized tribe and agreed directly.
After everything was settled, Jiang Xuan returned to his courtyard.
"Leader Xuan, how did your discussions go?"
As soon as Jiang Xuan entered, the anxious Shan Jia rushed up and asked urgently.
"Leader Shan Jia, our Vine Tribe agreed to join forces with you to attack the Fierce Bird Tribe."
Shan Jia was overjoyed at the answer, his heart finally relieved.
Jiang Xuan added, "But... we must ensure that those small tribes also join the fight. Otherwise, with the numbers difference, we would struggle to win."
"Leader Xuan, rest assured, those small tribes are almost crushed by the Fierce Bird Tribe; they will join the fight."
Jiang Xuan said, "It’s better to confirm this. There’s no room for error in this war."
"Then what does Leader Xuan suggest?"
"You and I should visit those small tribes to assess their attitude."
"Well... alright, but we need to hurry. The Mountain Turtle Tribe is in great danger; we can’t delay further."
Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "Don’t worry, we’ll ride Tang Yuan. It’ll be quick."
Hearing about riding Tang Yuan, Shan Jia was actually a bit scared because he was used to walking on the ground; flying into the sky gave him no sense of security.
However, for the survival of the Mountain Turtle Tribe, despite his fear, he had to steel himself.
"Leader Shan Jia, don’t rush. Sit for a while; I’ll arrange the tribe’s matters and leave soon."
Shan Jia was helpless and had to continue waiting.
Jiang Xuan left the courtyard again, first finding Feng Chao, instructing him to gather more intelligence, even if it meant providing additional benefits to the wanderers.
He visited the smelting workshop, urging them to forge more Bronze Spearheads, Arrowheads, and other such weapons.
Once forged, they could be coated with the gray-white paint prepared by Chi Shao, allowing these Bronze Weapons to be used sparingly in battle.
If warriors of three colors or above could be equipped with Bronze Weapons, their fighting capability would surely increase significantly.
After leaving the smelting workshop, Jiang Xuan didn’t waste any time and headed straight back to his bamboo grove courtyard.
Shan Jia ordered the thirty warriors he brought to ride giant turtles back to the tribe, while he and Jiang Xuan boarded Tang Yuan to fly towards the first small tribe.
In the sky, Tang Yuan let out a sharp cry, then flapped its wings, flying far away with the help of the wind.
Shan Jia nearly retracted into his Turtle Shell, yet his hands reached out to tightly grasp Jiang Xuan’s Beast Hide Clothing.
"Leader Shan Jia, why are you grabbing me?"
Jiang Xuan was somewhat uncomfortable with Shan Jia’s tugging and asked helplessly.
Shan Jia’s head retracted into his Turtle Shell. Just the roar of Tang Yuan taking off and a glimpse downward buckled his knees.
Knowing Shan Jia’s fear, Jiang Xuan had no choice but to let him cling to his Beast Hide Clothing.
Jiang Xuan, long accustomed to flying high, listened to the wind howling in his ears, looking at the mountains rushing past below, could even take in some scenery along the way.
Tang Yuan’s wingspan had already reached over twenty meters, flying very fast.
In half a day, they arrived at the first small tribe, the Sparrow Tribe.
This was a small tribe with only about five hundred people. Their Totem God was a special yellow sparrow.
As Tang Yuan approached the Sparrow Tribe, a large number of sparrows rose from the forest below.
Once Tang Yuan landed in the clearing, it was immediately surrounded by nervous warriors from the Sparrow Tribe.
Although his legs were numb, Shan Jia, as the leader of the Mountain Turtle Tribe, quickly shouted, "I am Shan Jia, leader of the Mountain Turtle Tribe. I have urgent matters to discuss with your leader."