Chapter 1 The Battle

However, the battle between these two holy objects (referred to as "the battle") didn't seem intense or spectacular at all. To put it bluntly, it was just a small snake and a bean sprout competing, and 99 percent of the time was spent in a stalemate.

The final result was that the sun ladder's offspring desperately absorbed energy from the meteorite fragments until they were exhausted. In the end, it completely dissolved and absorbed the ouroboros. However, it also paid a heavy price. Its originally crystal-clear stem was now filled with surging blackness, like a glass of clear water with a large amount of ink poured into it. The leaves and tentacle-like tendrils began to droop.

At this moment, Old Aram finally let out a long breath, wiped away his sweat, and felt a sense of relief. He was only injured in his vitality and not at his core. With proper care, it was estimated that his lifespan would not be affected, and he could even regain his youth. After seeing Fang Senyan's tangled expression, he thought carefully for a while and hesitated before saying, "Outlander, the situation you are encountering now is very rare. You only obtained the offspring of the sun ladder without obtaining its withered leaves. You can no longer use conventional methods to obtain the power of the sun ladder."

Fang Senyan could only smile bitterly at this time. Where did he have the financial resources to support another trip to the ruins to collect the sun ladder's withered leaves? However, Fang Senyan quickly understood the hidden meaning of this guy's words and immediately looked at Old Aram in surprise and said, "Could it be that you have some other method?"

Old Aram thought for a while and said, "Among our Dubaiya royal family, there is also an ancient ritual passed down from a long time ago. This ritual is called Babubabula. It is our royal family's unique method to benefit from the sun ladder. The Ouroboros tribe and the Sun tribe both rely on the power of the withered leaves of the sun ladder, while Babubabula takes another path."

"You should also know that the mother plant of the sun ladder is a very cruel plant that will kill its own offspring. Our ancient method is applied to those dead offspring of the sun ladder. However, those offspring were killed by the mother plant, and your current offspring is not only in a half-dead state but also bitten by the Ouroboros. I cannot guarantee that the ancient method will be effective. More importantly, even if the Babubabula ritual is successfully performed, the mortality rate of this method is also very high, and it is also very painful!"

"Then what happens after success?" Fang Senyan suddenly said, "Since this method has been passed down, it proves that it must be useful. What will happen after success?"

Old Aram recalled for a moment and said, "I cannot describe the power gained after success in your language. It is completely different from the power gained by the Sun tribe and the Ouroboros tribe. Their own changes are not significant, but they can cause thousands of people to lose their lives unconsciously."

Fang Senyan thought for a while, took a deep breath, and said, "Tell me the method first, and I will consider it."

Old Aram got rid of the entanglement of the Ouroboros and was in a very good mood, so he agreed to Fang Senyan's request. He took out a very ancient rope from behind, with many different knots tied on it.

After seeing this scene, Fang Senyan immediately remembered an ancient custom he had heard of: "tying knots to record events"!

This method of inheriting history and culture seems bizarre, but it exists in various ancient civilizations with a long history.

The Book of Changes says: "In ancient times, knots were tied to govern. Later generations of sages changed them to writing, so that officials could govern and the people could observe."

The way of tying knots usually follows the principle of: "For big things, tie big knots; for small things, tie small knots; the number depends on the quantity of things."

Moreover, this custom is not unique to China. Indians also have similar practices. Of course, to interpret those knots of different sizes into words, one can only rely on the oral formulas passed down from generation to generation in the tribe.

Old Aram's rough fingers caressed one knot after another, gradually immersing himself in the realm of communicating with the ancestral gods. The language he uttered was mysterious and distant, with a bit of the flavor of Sanskrit chanting. Even if you didn't understand a single word, there was a strange melody that merged into your heart.

After a while, Old Aram said to Fang Senyan, "The method used by Babubabula is very cruel, and once it starts, it cannot be stopped. If it is not successful, then you will become its food, slowly watching it devour your body. This process may even last until the sun rises and sets twice. Are you sure you want to accept it?"

The sun rising and setting twice is a full forty-eight hours. Listening to Old Aram's slow voice, Fang Senyan couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He coughed and said, "Then...

I mean, if I feel like I can't bear it at that time, what will happen if I forcibly stop it with external force?"

Old Aram said very definitely, "The greatest possibility is that you and the person who performs the ritual will die together. Another possibility is that the Babubabula ritual will fail, and you will not gain power. The ancestors' records are very detailed. This ritual cannot be disturbed by any factors in the middle. Once disturbed, it will fail."

Obviously, Fang Senyan's idea was that if he found something wrong with the ritual, he would immediately return to the Nightmare Space and forcibly repair his body. But now it seems that this plan can undoubtedly only save his life, and the ritual will inevitably fail. At this point, he really didn't have much room for choice, so he could only grit his teeth and face it head-on.

"Are you really sure you want to perform the Babubabula ritual? I have to tell you that the sun ladder larvae used by our royal family are all malnourished and completely dead, unlike your current larvae, which is not only growing

very strong, but also looks like it is only seriously injured and still has a chance to survive. The possibility of problems is quite high."

"I know, let's do it." Fang Senyan was already in a difficult position.

Seeing that he insisted, Old Aram shrugged and said, "Okay, wait a minute, I have to find the records about Babubabula."

Fang Senyan took a few deep breaths and began to close his eyes and wait. He didn't hear Old Aram's movement for more than ten minutes. When he looked up, he saw that guy scratching his head with shame and saying, "I'm really sorry, the records about the Babubabula ritual were put at my house. You wait for me here, I'll go back and get them right away..."

Fang Senyan: "Wait!! You might as well take me with you." In theory, Fang Senyan was not allowed to leave the Dubaiya Great Swamp within five kilometers, otherwise he would be forcibly teleported back. However, under the leadership of Old Aram, this rule was broken. However, when he arrived at Kum Port, the space also prompted that he could only move around in Kum Port. If he left, he would be teleported back to the Nightmare Space.

At this time, the pirates had already set sail and returned to the Caribbean Sea. They had to hurry back when the wind was favorable, so they could at least spend half a month less on the sea. They were in high spirits with a full load and were probably accelerating their voyage.

Undoubtedly, Old Aram had absolute authority in the tribe. After he returned to the tribe, he first ordered the tribesmen to prepare things, then went around to find some very strange medicines. Finally, he rummaged through his pointed grass shed for a long time and finally took out something from the basement. Fang Senyan was also surprised to see this thing. It was a shrunken head!

This head was obviously specially treated and was strangely shrunk to only the size of a fist. The surface showed a brownish-red color. Because the oil inside the skin overflowed, it felt very smooth to the touch, as if it had been waxed. Because of severe dehydration, the features were squeezed together, giving it a grimace-like appearance.

After seeing this head, Fang Senyan realized that these guys in Kum Port were also very savage cannibals. It was estimated that this scary thing occupied the position of "sausage" and "bacon" in the modern people's diet in the recipes of these natives. Could it be that the old thing knew that the physical exertion was great next, so he had to fill up his energy first?

Unexpectedly, Old Aram looked very respectful to this head. He prostrated himself on the ground and prayed devoutly, chanting words in his mouth. After a native "wuli wala" introduced it, Fang Senyan realized that this head was actually Old Aram's grandfather, and it was made like a god, a spiritual tablet, to show respect.

After Old Aram picked up this shrunken head, he soaked it in clear water. It could be seen that a large number of hairs in the scalp absorbed enough water and then spread in the water, looking like a braid. When the clear water was completely still, the hair behind the head was soaked and dispersed, forming a braid with many knots.

Old Aram squinted his eyes and laboriously made some syllables that Fang Senyan couldn't understand. He looked quite focused and painstakingly identified the knots on the braid, analyzing the meaning expressed in them. Fang Senyan couldn't wait to throw a pair of reading glasses to him. If this old guy made a mistake, wouldn't he be the one who suffered?

Fang Senyan couldn't help but feel emotional again when he saw his actions. This method of recording secrets was indeed staggering. Even if he stole this shriveled head, which he knew was of great significance, he would never understand its meaning.

After a lot of time, the corner of Old Aram's mouth twitched, and he looked at Fang Senyan seriously and said, "Are you really sure you want to perform the Babubabula ritual?"

Fang Senyan said angrily, "I'll answer you one last time, I'm sure."