Chapter 122 The Bloodline of the Demon Lord
"The Wolfheart Clan has not betrayed your trust. We have captured all the natural shamans of the Minotaur Tribe, including the ordinary minotaurs who were taken alive. They are all here."
The winter wolves, leading the wolf pack with their formidable tracking abilities, eventually captured the fleeing shamans.
Six minotaurs, their bodies inscribed with intricate runes resembling the veins of the Earth, were pushed forward by the winter wolves. Unlike ordinary minotaurs, their eyes did not show ferocity but rather a calm wisdom.
They exuded a heavy sense of power, as if they were one with the ground beneath them, their every move drawing on the power of the Earth spirit.
Clearly, they were the natural shamans, or rather, the shamans of this Minotaur Tribe.
"Foolish minotaurs, standing before you is the greatest eternal dragon of the far northern Ice Field."
"Defying the will of the eternal dragon will only bring total destruction to your tribe!"
A winter wolf snorted coldly, communicating with the Minotaur Shaman in Giant Language.
The minotaurs also spoke Giant Language, as well as Orcish and Common Language, so they naturally understood the winter wolf's words.
"The Ironback Clan has worshipped the Earth spirit for generations and will never submit to a dragon."
"Death is merely a return to the embrace of the Earth. The Earth spirit will grant our souls peace."
A Minotaur Shaman spoke calmly, unmoved.
Minotaurs were generally hot-tempered and reckless, but as shamans influenced by animism, the Minotaur Shamans were often more composed and steady than many humans.
Brian Dragonclaws raised his hand slightly, signaling the winter wolves to stop talking.
He looked down at the Minotaur Shaman who had spoken first, and instead of immediately threatening or enticing him, he asked with interest, "Followers of the Spirits of Nature, can you make the Earth spirit appear?"
"I have a deep yearning for the spirits of nature, but I have never seen one with my own eyes."
"If you can fulfill my wish, it is not impossible that I might let your tribe go."
The Minotaur Shaman looked up at the silver dragon that blocked the moonlight, struggling to maintain his composure, and said, "The Earth spirit exists in the vast, boundless Earth. What happens here is insignificant to it; it will not care whether you yearn for it or not."
Brian stomped his foot, causing the ground to tremble violently, cracks spreading out.
"And what about you? Does the Earth spirit care about its followers?"
"If I kill you, will the Earth spirit seek revenge on me?"
This was a rhetorical question from Brian.
The spirits of nature were emotionless embodiments of spirituality and did not care about faith.
The Minotaur Shaman summoned a bit of power, causing faint ripples to appear on the ground. A nearby winter wolf, eyes fierce, was about to bite the Minotaur Shaman but was stopped by Brian.
The ground, cracked by Brian's stomp, seemed to come alive in the ripples, healing and becoming smooth again in an instant.
"The Earth spirit is all-loving. It nurtures all things, supports the world, and remains silent despite being trampled and destroyed by countless creatures."
"We worship it but never seek its response."
"You want to see the Earth spirit? The vast, magnificent Earth beneath your feet is its embodiment, its flesh and blood. It is everywhere."
"Look down. It already knows all your sins."
Pausing, the Minotaur Shaman looked at Brian, his voice calm and steady, and said, "Embrace the Earth spirit. It will forgive your ignorance, pardon your sins, and allow your soul to return to the Earth after death, granting you peace and tranquility."
Brian: ..................
Good grief, even as a prisoner, he doesn't forget to spread his faith.
Talking to such a fanatic was a bit troublesome.
Brian himself was a non-believer. The so-called gods were merely the most powerful beings.
The spirits of nature are even less reliable than deities. Once discovered by a deity, the chances of being turned into a divine artifact or enslaved as a divine servant are extremely high.
He didn't believe in gods, so he certainly wouldn't believe in the spirits of nature.
Brian turned to look at the ordinary minotaurs who were not shamans, scrutinizing them for a while.
After a few minutes, he noticed that, except for some young minotaurs, the others all had resolute expressions, their faces showing a stubbornness that did not fear death.
Under the leadership of the Minotaur Shamans, they also had a deep-rooted faith in the spirits of nature, even if they hadn't gained any abilities.
"I'll ask only once."
"Even if it means total death, the extinction of your tribe, and the end of your clan's bloodline, would you still refuse to become my followers?"
"Think carefully before you answer."
Brian said to the Minotaur Shaman.
However, the Minotaur Shamans answered without hesitation, "Absolutely not."
When it comes to stubbornness, minotaurs are unmatched. Their obstinacy is just as the winter wolves described—unyielding even unto death.
Since they were unwilling to become high-ranking followers, they could only be used as mining slaves... Brian sighed regretfully.
After some thought, he said to the Minotaur Shaman, "I respect your faith, so I won't force you to change your beliefs."
"But killing is not my desire. Therefore, if you are willing to serve as slaves for a hundred years, your clan's bloodline can continue to walk upon the Earth and worship your Earth spirit after a century."
The young minotaurs' faith was not as resolute and stubborn as their parents', giving them a chance to be reshaped. Minotaurs don't have long lifespans, and as long as they are not given the opportunity to influence the next generation, the young minotaurs growing up in the True Dragon Territory are unlikely to continue worshiping the spirits of nature.
If they still refused... Brian would have to reward them to the winter wolves. The Wolfheart Clan had no casualties, but their wolf pack had suffered significant losses.
"Oh great eternal dragon, you radiate the light of mercy and compassion."
"Your merciful light will make all beings submit, causing the sun and moon to pale in comparison."
".............."
Upon hearing Brian's words, a kobold began to flatter him excessively but missed the mark.
Moreover, the garbled draconic language was too noisy and grating, giving Brian a headache, so he ordered them to shut their dog mouths.
It's no wonder kobolds are fanatically loyal to True Dragons—they are useful and extremely loyal. However, True Dragons generally don't like them as followers because their dog-like draconic language is too bizarre.
Additionally, Brian didn't consider himself a merciful dragon.
After all, the Minotaur Tribe was living peacefully, and he had ordered the winter wolves to attack them just to have someone to mine for him. To the minotaurs, he was no different from a demon.
On the other side, the Minotaur Shamans discussed among themselves, hesitating for a moment.
Followers of the Spirits of Nature are fanatics; otherwise, they wouldn't believe that all things have spirits, thinking that even stones and metals have souls.
For fanatics, faith is more important than life itself.
But to maintain their faith... selling themselves for a hundred years for the continuation of their bloodline was worth considering.
After some discussion, the Minotaur Shamans reached a consensus and finally swore to the Earth spirit to serve Brian for a hundred years in exchange for the survival of their bloodline.
This tribe of minotaurs was known as the Ironback Clan.
They considered themselves descendants of Baphomet, the King of Minotaurs, left on the Prime Material Plane, a relatively noble clan among minotaurs.
But Brian didn't care. They were now his mining slaves, and no amount of noble bloodline would change that.
As for Baphomet, the King of Minotaurs... there were records of him in the Dragon Heritage.
He was a Demon Lord of the 600th layer of the Abyss, a powerful demon who had existed for an unknown number of years.
