Chapter 214 Internal Troubles and External Threats
"Vine God..."
Chi Shao was the first to react. Her face went pale as she stumbled towards the half-charred Divine Vine.
Immediately afterward, Jiang Xuan hurriedly followed, with other tribesmen closely behind.
The ground was cluttered with piles of rocks, making passage difficult. Jiang Xuan quickly led the warriors to clear away the rocks, carefully placing the broken and charred vines to the side.
Despite being charred, despite only a half remaining, the Divine Vine was still immensely grand, with some areas still flickering with small flames.
Chi Shao knelt before the Divine Vine, calling it again and again, yet received no response.
Jiang Xuan stood behind Chi Shao, his heart sinking further with each passing moment.
Originally, he thought the Vine Tribe was about to soar, but no one anticipated such a situation.
Losing the protection of the Totem God would make the Vine Tribe vulnerable to even the smallest of tribes.
Not only that, the hearts of the Vine Tribe people would become disturbed.
Because the Vine Tribe developed too rapidly, its current population came from many different tribes, including quite a few who were once part of enemy tribes. There were still many unresolved conflicts among them.
When the Vine God was present, these conflicts could be suppressed; everyone worked together for a better life.
Once the Vine God is no longer around, various conflicts will gradually erupt.
At that time, torn by internal and external troubles, the Vine Tribe might collapse entirely.
This was an outcome Jiang Xuan could not accept.
Jiang Xuan's eyes scanned the crowd with peripheral vision; a few tribe members already showed unsettling expressions.
This made Jiang Xuan's heart heavier. If the Vine God's fate were confirmed, some might have started rioting already.
Chi Shao, kneeling before the charred half of the Divine Vine, tried various methods to summon the Vine God, even softly chanting the God-Summoning Spell.
The result left her utterly despairing; still, the Vine God did not respond, and in her anxiety, tears began to fall.
For a Witch, nothing is more devastating than losing the Totem God.
Just then, the crowd parted to make way, and the Old Witch walked slowly toward them.
Jiang Xuan hurriedly stepped forward, speaking in a low voice: "Old Witch, you have seen much; help us ascertain the Vine God's condition."
The Old Witch nodded, said nothing, and walked to the charred Divine Vine.
Upon seeing the Old Witch arrive, Chi Shao wiped her tears and stepped aside.
The Old Witch soothed, "Chi Shao, don't worry, let me take a look."
Chi Shao nodded, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the Old Witch, hoping for a miracle.
The Old Witch took a deep breath, placed a hand on the charred Divine Vine, and slowly closed his eyes.
Soon, enormous witch power surged from his palm towards the charred Divine Vine; the sporadic flames upon it extinguished instantly upon contact with the witch power.
A long while later, the Old Witch reopened his eyes and retracted his witch power.
He glanced over at the crowd but did not immediately announce his findings, instead patting Jiang Xuan and Chi Shao, signaling them to follow him.
Jiang Xuan's heart sank once more, hitting rock bottom this time.
The two followed the Old Witch into the bamboo forest and continued until they reached Jiang Xuan's courtyard.
Chi Shao's courtyard had been battered beyond recognition by scattered rocks, whereas Jiang Xuan's, located farther from Stone Mountain, had suffered less damage, only a few small fragments scattered here and there.
Jiang Xuan asked, "Old Witch, what's the Vine God's condition now?"
Chi Shao's gaze fixed on the Old Witch, eyes filled with urgency.
"Judging by the situation of other Totem Gods, your Vine God likely failed to overcome a tribulation."
The Old Witch's words were a bolt from the blue, causing the hopeful Chi Shao to go dark before her eyes, staggering and nearly collapsing.
Jiang Xuan swiftly caught Chi Shao, comforting, "Sister, don't rush, listen to what the Old Witch has to say."
"Yes, Chi Shao, don't rush."
The Old Witch pondered for a moment before speaking: "If it were a Totem God from another tribe in this situation, I would say it's surely dead. But your Vine God is different."
"Its trunk and branches have indeed been struck dead, but the roots deeply embedded in the earth remain, not entirely perished."
Jiang Xuan realized, "Just like when my sister was afflicted by witchcraft; it appeared dead on the surface, but she could actually live?"
The Old Witch nodded, "If there are no unexpected changes, then probably, yes."
"That's wonderful!"
Upon hearing the Old Witch's words, light returned to Chi Shao's eyes, and Jiang Xuan felt his heart slightly lifted from its depths.
"However, I must warn you."
The Old Witch's expression turned solemn: "Whether your Vine God can recover, when it will recover, and whether it will become stronger or weaker upon recovery, nobody knows."
"Therefore, you must find a way to keep all tribe members stable and intimidate outsiders, or else..."
The Old Witch didn't finish his sentence, but Jiang Xuan and Chi Shao understood.
They must prepare for the possibility that the Vine God might not protect the tribe for a long time, or perhaps never again.
Jiang Xuan pondered for a while, then said, "When we go out later, we must have a unified statement: tell everyone the Vine God is merely asleep temporarily and will soon awaken to protect the Vine Tribe once more."
The Old Witch nodded in agreement; this approach could temporarily stabilize the people.
Jiang Xuan then said to Chi Shao, "Sister, stay strong; the tribe needs you now."