Three minutes later, Lu Benwei limped out of the woods and, along with Wang Xuance, caught up with the main group.
Nuo Suren, walking ahead, heard the accelerated footsteps and instinctively looked back.
"Whoa!"
Laxibudaizi was startled, "What happened to this friend?"
He pointed at Lu Benwei and asked Yan Er.
Lu Benwei quickly explained, "Cough, cough, it's nothing, I just fell down."
Laxibudaizi: ???
Could falling down result in such symmetrical black eyes?
But seeing that Fang Er had no intention of explaining, he didn't press further. Instead, as if extending a gesture of goodwill, he said, "Our village is just ahead. The Great Prophet will treat you later."
Great Prophet?
Fang Er was stunned for a moment, but then his attention shifted to the word "treat" that was mentioned.
Lu Ben Chuan had previously mentioned that some of these Nuo Suren could perform magic, healing injuries with a wave of their hands.
Could these be the Great Prophets he spoke of?
If so, it was a stroke of luck. What he wanted to know most was what this so-called magic was all about.
The group continued on their way. Ten minutes later, the scenery before them opened up.
A lively valley appeared before them.
Countless towering ancient trees, a scene of birdsong and fragrant flowers, looked exceptionally peaceful.
Their arrival quickly alerted the nearby Nuo Suren.
Many men and women gathered around, chattering and discussing them.
"What kind of animals are these? They look so strange."
"Indeed, they look somewhat similar to us, but why don't they have tails?"
"Not only no tails, but look, they are so yellow!"
"And their clothes, they aren't transparent. Is it because they are too small to be seen?"
"............"
These people chattered incessantly, pointing at the newcomers, making them feel like monkeys in a zoo.
Sensing their discomfort, Laxibudaizi immediately put on a stern face and reprimanded the onlookers.
"Scram, scram, scram, go do whatever you should be doing!"
Saying this, he pointed at a few people and commanded.
"And you few, hurry and inform the Great Tribal Chief that distinguished guests have arrived!"
Those pointed at nodded quickly and then dashed into the depths of the valley.
After being reprimanded, the onlookers became much more orderly. Although they merely retreated to observe from a distance, it still made the newcomers feel more at ease.
Continuing forward, they followed the narrow path between the two mountains all the way to the depths of the valley.
Beside a babbling stream, a cave appeared before them.
Laxibudaizi pointed at the cave and said, "Everyone, this is our village's council hall. Please, come in!"
This vast valley, inhabited by nearly ten thousand Nuo Suren, was referred to as merely a "village" by them!
This was perhaps a consequence of cultural differences, but Fang Er still found it somewhat hard to accept.
"Respected guests, don't linger outside, please come in quickly."
Seeing him standing at the cave entrance, looking around, Laxibudaizi showed a friendly smile and urged him on.
Wang Xuance behind him coughed twice, and Fang Er snapped back to reality. He politely said to Laxibudaizi, "Please, you first!"
"After you!"
"No, no, no, you first!"
"Then shall we go together?"
"That would be good, good!"
After exchanging pleasantries, the two walked side by side into the cave.
The path inside the cave was uneven and slightly narrow at the entrance.
Even stream water flowed out from the cave.
Upon venturing deeper, they discovered a world within.
An indescribable fragrance wafted towards them, and Fang Er couldn't help but take several deep breaths, feeling invigorated.
"What is this scent?"
"Hahahaha, surely the Chief knows distinguished guests have arrived and has prepared a delicious feast!"
Laxibudaizi said with a smug look, seemingly proud that the people he brought were being honored.
Walking further and turning a few bends in the cave, the scenery before them opened up dramatically.
A massive space appeared before them. This mountain was hollow!
Inside the mountain, there were many incredibly thick, original logs. The cores of these logs had been hollowed out, seemingly serving as dwellings.
Moreover, the area was brightly lit. Looking up, on the stone walls overhead, seven luminous spheres, each exceeding two meters in diameter, were suspended.
The light emitted by these spheres was soft yet warm, like seven giant light bulbs.
Although he didn't know their material, Fang Er guessed they were similar to the "red stones" in the Wan Qu Realm.
"Hahahaha, distinguished guests have arrived, welcome, welcome!"
At this moment, a group of people approached from a distance. One of them, completely bare from head to toe, without a single hair,
He spread his arms wide from afar, laughing heartily at Fang Er and his companions.
Laxibudaizi introduced, "Friend, this is our Chief!"
Fang Er nodded and walked towards the Chief.
"Andromeda Galaxy, planet Atari, Skyfire Exploration Team, Captain Fang Anzhi, thank you for your hospitality, Chief!"
He couldn't reveal Earth's name. The wormhole was so close to Earth, who knew if they had been there?
So, if he had to shift blame, he would shift it as far away as possible!
Standing opposite the Chief, he fabricated an identity for himself, half truthfully and half falsely.
The Chief, upon hearing this, was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly on the spot.
Andromeda, planet Atari?
What on earth was that place?
How had he never heard of it before?
Just then, Laxibudaizi pointed to the items held by his tribesmen and reported to the Chief.
"Chief, these are gifts brought by our esteemed guests!"
"Gifts?"
Upon hearing this word, the Chief's confusion vanished. He turned to look at the items.
Laxibudaizi subtly leaned closer and described in detail how he had found Fang Er.
When he learned of their purpose, the Chief smiled slightly and pointed to a nearby wooden house.
"Since that is the case, let us speak inside first!"
"Your companions have already been treated by the Great Prophet."
"After a brief rest, I will have them brought here!"
The Chief was very friendly, and the Nuo Suren's demeanor was also simple and honest, much like natives in a primitive society.
Fang Er thought about it and readily agreed.
Leaving a team to guard outside, he, along with Wang Xuance and Lu Benwei, followed the Chief and Laxibudaizi into the wooden house.