13 An Expert is Coming

The various elders took their cue and exited the hut quietly with the four bone slips. They then went into the nearest hut and huddled together. This was Elder Charles' hut and it had plenty of blacksmithing tools like an anvil and sets of hammers strewn around. However the old man himself was trembling while holding onto a simple piece of bone. "Immortal wea...Immor..weap..weapons" he couldn't help but stutter over and over. Philip had handed it out like roadside cabbages, but a blacksmith like him knew all too well. Only immortals can craft immortal weapons. Then didn't that mean that the [Mountain Body Incantation] the prerequisite to this technique, would make them immortal? Was it really so easy to live forever? Was this the power of a God? The other elders were not faring much better. They had the remaining three bone slips in front of them on a crafting table and just stared. A heard of buffalo was running across their minds and their heartbeats were barely stable. It was a miracle no one's heart had given out yet! "Can it be real? So simple?" a short burly elder with a goatee of white hair and bald head wondered out loud. This was the young prodigy Brian's father, Elder Victor. "Only one way to find out." Chief Saito replied, while picking up a bone slip. He placed it on his forehead and concentrated. The other elders leaned in and observed closely. Shortly after the slip touched his head, Chief Saito's eyes snapped open and his eyes rolled into the back of his eyelids. He then started blinking rapidly whilst only the whites of his eyes were visible. A short minute later his eyes returned to normal and he slowly lowered his hand that was holding the slip to his head. "Wow." he muttered in a low breath. He then noticed the other elders had all stepped back and were looking at him like he was a sick patient. "Chief are you okay?" Elder Moses enquired. "Hahahahaha never better old friend, never better. Here, quickly learn it you'll know." he grinned while handing over the piece of bone. Elder Moses cautiously received it and looking at the grin on the Chief curiosity took the better of him and he placed it on his forehead as well. The same scene played out with the rapid blinking before he brought doen his hand again. "Holy Cow!" he exclaimed, whilst ogling the bone slip in his hand. At this point if the other elders weren't convinced something was afoot they really wouldn't deserve their posts. The bone slip quickly circulated amongst the elders and in the time it took to drink a cup of tea they had all utilised it. Another long silence ensued as the nine old men simply grinned at each other. "Nyasanga Clan will rise!" Elder Victor finally said agitatedly. "This bone slip is too precious, Elder Jeremy you will have to make stone tablets for only the first five Steps and they must be separate!" Elder Moses looked to his left and said. A shockingly tall yet skinny elder beside him nodded his head vigorously. He was the scribe of the tribe. "Obsidian stone, double, no! Triple polished, no! Has to be finer materials, spare no cost!" he was already mumbling in preparation. This bone slip was just too shocking! When one placed it on their forehead a flood of information would assault their mind. As if they had always known it, the [Mountain Body Incantation] was perfectly memorised deep in their conciousness. As expected of a God, his ways were really too profound!

The technique was a body strengthening technique, that allowed the person practising it to strengthen their body to an indomitable level like a mountain. Just the description on the first page alone made this technique priceless. It said that there are nine Steps to the technique, and if one finished it up to the ninth step, then their body would be indestructible, a God Body. What they received from Philip was only the first step, but it too had nine Stages. The introduction of that very ninth Stage is what had all the elders agitated.

Completing the ninth Stage and with it the first Step would break the mortal shackles, stepping into the immortal way! A complete immortal technique! Wars had been fought for much much less. One had to know that even the Imperial Technique was only an incomplete technique. Wouldn't that mean that by cultivating this technique, they would all become stronger than the Blood Emperor? That was the Blood Emperor, there was only a handful of people comparable in the whole world! And there was still the other three bone slips! This was just too precious. "A treasure this high level can be a curse. This matter can never leak. " Elder Charles said solemnly. The other elders agreed as well, these bone slips were a blessing but also a heavy cross to bear. They huddled together and immediately discussed thorough plans on how to deal with this issue. The fate of the clan was dependent on their next moves. Hours flew by and the sun set to reveal a bright moon in the night sky. A dozing sentry at the entrance of the village heard distant sounds like a running beast. He immediately went on alert and armed himself with his spear and shield. From his high vantage atop the village fence, and with the bright moon, he saw a single man run quickly through the grassland toward the village. Only his steps were too mighty that he could hear them from so far away and his speed was astonishing as his small silhouette was approaching far too rapidly. The sentry immediately rang the bell that announced a threat without hesitation. "Expert! An expert is approaching!" He shouted loudly. In the central hut Philip broke into a smile but did not open his eyes or move from his spot. The nine elders were however far less calm and broke into a sweat. Just what was this rotten luck? "Hide the slips, I'll go meet them and stall." Chief Saito said, before regaining his composure and leaving the tent.