The bonfire crackled and danced, the aroma of roasting meat filling the entire canyon. Villagers from Firescythe Village and Cangnan Village mingled together in perfect harmony, chatting and laughing.
The two witch-leaders had set aside old grudges and shaken hands in peace, which in turn put their respective villagers at ease, letting go of their wariness and hatred to enjoy each other's company.
The Firescythe barbarians produced the fruit wine they had brought along, and villagers from both tribes devoured meat by the fistful and drank deeply, becoming as close as brothers. Beside the prettiest girls from each village, young men from the other tribe had already gathered, making their intentions clear — it seemed a springtime romance was brewing in this canyon.
Meanwhile, Ah Hu was sparring with another Firescythe villager in an open clearing.
Barbarian daily life offered very little in the way of entertainment, and the most common pastime was close-quarters hand-to-hand combat. Bonds among the barbarians were forged through fists. The Firescythe villager locked in combat with Ah Hu was considerably bigger and stronger, but Ah Hu had youth and ferocity on his side. For a time the two fought to a dead heat, neither gaining an advantage, drawing cheers and shouts from the onlookers.
Yang Kai glanced over at the fight and saw Ah Hu take a savage punch to the midsection, doubling over like a shrimp. But in the instant his opponent rushed in carelessly, Ah Hu launched a sudden counterattack, slamming a kick into the other man's knee. The Firescythe villager, caught completely off guard, dropped to the ground on one knee.
Yang Kai turned his head and said, "Lord Ya, that Shield of Sorcery you mentioned earlier — is it something like this?"
As he spoke, he extended a finger and pointed forward. A ripple of spiritual energy pulsed outward, and the air before him shimmered, transforming into a translucent shield that hovered in front of him.
Ya's jaw dropped. It took him a long moment before he managed, "Yes! Exactly like that!"
"I see!" Yang Kai nodded, then added, "But this Shield of Sorcery seems to only block sorcery one tier lower than your own. If a sorcerer of equal rank launched an attack, I'm afraid it wouldn't hold."
Ya said, "At the very least it buys you enough time to dodge. In a critical moment, that alone can save your life."
Yang Kai said, "That's a fair point, Lord Ya. But I think there might be a better way to cast the Shield of Sorcery."
With that, he began to demonstrate…
Ya nearly lost his mind!
Through his discussions with this "Sorcerer Ox," he had come to realize that the man's understanding of sorcery was remarkably shallow — he couldn't even cast many of the common spells. It was as if he had only just started learning sorcery a few days ago. And yet this Sorcerer Ox's intuition and creativity left Ya absolutely stunned.
After Ya demonstrated and explained a handful of common spells, the man picked them up effortlessly, casting them on the first try.
Were it not for the utterly genuine expression on his face — and the fact that he clearly harbored no ulterior motives — Ya might have suspected he was putting on an act.
What truly floored Ya was that this man managed to improve upon every single one of those common spells. Whether in casting speed or destructive power, the refined versions were a clear tier above the originals!
How could this possibly be the work of an upper-tier sorcerer disciple?
Only a Grand Sorcerer could pull off something like that!
As a mid-tier sorcerer himself, Ya had always had to follow in others' footsteps, never once possessing the ability to modify the spells he had learned. But in this Sorcerer Ox, he was witnessing miracle after miracle.
The two witches spent the entire night together, exchanging knowledge ceaselessly. Both walked away enriched.
Yang Kai learned several simple yet highly practical sorceries, while Ya, through Yang Kai's insights and demonstrations, gained a far deeper understanding of those same spells. His cultivation level hadn't advanced, but Ya felt that his combat strength had surged dramatically. Given a bit of time to digest everything he had gained tonight, he would be confident in his ability to face even an upper-tier sorcerer in battle.
At daybreak, the people from both villages packed up and prepared to depart, parting ways at the entrance to the canyon.
Ya gazed at Yang Kai with undisguised reluctance. "Lord Ox, you absolutely must come visit Firescythe Village! We will prepare the finest food to host you and your people!"
Yang Kai chuckled. "There will be a chance. And Lord Ya, please do come visit Cangnan Village when you have the time."
Ya's eyes lit up. "I will! Once the snow melts and spring arrives, I'll be there."
"Until we meet again!" Yang Kai clasped his fists together.
Ya blinked in surprise. He didn't recognize the gesture, but he clasped his own fists in the same way.
Yang Kai turned, seized two of the beasts by their hind legs, and began dragging them across the snow. He led the hundred-plus villagers away into the distance.
Ya watched Yang Kai's departing figure and murmured, "I have just witnessed the rise of a new star!"
"What was that?" a tribesman beside him asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Let's go home!" Ya waved his hand, and the Firescythe villagers each hauled a beast behind them as they set off, their hauls bountiful.
…
Dragging two enormous beasts each through the snow was no simple task. By the time the Cangnan Village group returned from the canyon to their village, two full days had passed.
The hundred-plus villagers were welcomed back like heroes. The moment they arrived, the work of cleaning and storing the meat began in earnest.
The village chief shuffled over on trembling legs and asked whether anything unexpected had happened during the trip.