Leisurely Life in the Beast World - Chapter 417

The saying “Seeing the mountain, but exhausting the horse” came alive for Ji Nuan. What seemed like a nearby mountain range ended up taking the beastmen an entire half day of running to reach.

By the time they arrived at the base of the mountain, the temperature had dropped significantly, far colder than before. While the Watson Tribe fared better in their layered clothing, the Rock Tribe and Grizzly clan were visibly pale.

During their rest, the beastmen wrapped themselves in yet another layer of hides.

“Hey, old man, this mountain is massive. Where do we even start climbing?” Ge Xing asked, rubbing his hands as he sidled up to Xiong Dan.

Xiong Dan and Shi Jie exchanged grim looks. “This cold is unbelievable. I didn’t expect it to be this severe at the base of the mountain,” Xiong Dan muttered.

Meng Tai frowned as well. “It seems we weren’t adequately prepared. If it’s this bad already, climbing will be much tougher than last year.”

Turning to Ge Xing, Meng Tai explained, “We’ll need to circle to the point where the mountain meets the forest. That’s where we’ll start climbing. Beastmen can scale the mountain themselves, but once we reach Beast God Mountain, winged beastmen will need to carry us the rest of the way.

“The section of the mountain where Beast God Mountain connects to the four ranges is a vertical cliff covered in ice and snow. It’s impossible for normal beastmen to climb.”

Ge Xing let out a sigh of relief. He had initially thought winged beastmen would have to carry everyone the entire way from the base to the summit.

Ji Nuan overheard the conversation, and unlike Ge Xing, she felt her concern deepen. Turning to Meng Tai, she asked, “How much colder is it at the summit compared to here?”

Meng Tai thought for a moment. “If you’re wearing something like what I have on, it would feel as though you walked into that clearing earlier without any hides.”

Ji Nuan’s heart sank, and her brow furrowed. “In that case, the winged beastmen will be at great risk.”

She continued, “The colder it gets, the more damage the cold will do to their wings. If the temperature keeps dropping as we ascend, the damage might be so severe that they’ll never fly again.”

Shi Jie and Xiong Dan exchanged a glance, pain flashing in Xiong Dan’s eyes as he said, “This is something every winged beastman knows. They’ve already prepared themselves to make that sacrifice for their tribe.”

Shi Jie added, “Our tribe has only one winged beastman, Ying Da, left. Every time we climb Beast God Mountain, the cost is too great. None of the winged beastmen whose wings were severely frostbitten have survived.”

Ji Nuan was horrified. Staring at Shi Jie and Xiong Dan, she asked incredulously, “If that’s the case, why do you still send your tribesmen to their deaths for the trade gathering? Are their lives worth so little to you?”

“Because sacrificing one beastman’s life to bring back powder from the Sacred Wood Treant can save countless others in the tribe,” a familiar voice replied from behind.

Ji Nuan turned and saw Ying Da standing there, his expression calm. Unlike his usual shy demeanor, he now carried himself with a quiet resolve.

“My father and mother taught me from a young age that this is the responsibility and honor of winged beastmen. This is our choice,” Ying Da said, his face carrying a faint smile.

Ji Nuan fell silent, her gaze shifting to Xiu Yan and the other eagle beastmen in the tribe.