Book 7, Chapter 83: Sacrifice
Upon hearing the name "Blood Drum," Ancient Gong’s eyes lit up. He immediately understood what Su Chen was saying.
The Blood Drum was a treasure that had been used by the Qiang Tribe to maintain their dominance in the past. Apparently, this treasure was unbelievably powerful, and had been instrumental in their rise to power.
It was also the reason for their downfall.
None of them had expected the treasure to suddenly lose its effectiveness. The heaven-defying might of the Blood Drum had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
And once the Blood Drum’s effects had disappeared, the kingdom established by the Qiang Tribe eventually collapsed.
The Qiang Tribe both adored and despised the Blood Drum’s existence. They worshipped its legendary strength, but could not deny that it was exceptionally plain at the moment.
Yes, the drum was still very much intact. However, its effectiveness had long since disappeared.
Now, Frost was saying that he could help them sound the drum once more.
The meaning behind his words was patently obvious.
Ancient Gong said, "What exactly are you saying?"
"I can repair the Blood Drum," Frost immediately replied.
All of the individuals within the tent grew extremely excited.
Soar was the only one with a little fire still left in him. "Why should we believe you?"
"Because your survival is in my hands." Frost waved his hand, and the pressure surrounding them suddenly multiplied. Ancient Gong felt as if he was going to be crushed, and he was having an extremely hard time breathing.
The high priest, however, asked sinisterly, "How will you repair it?"
"A sacrifice," Frost replied.
The high priest shook his head. "Our ancestors tried it a long time ago. It didn’t work."
"That’s because your way of sacrificing was wrong. The Blood Drum was never damaged, but it became hungry. You just never fed it."
"Hungry?" All of the Barbarians were stunned.
The Blood Drum had not been built by the Qiang Tribe’s members. Their ancestor had somehow inherited it at some point, which was why they had no idea that it could actually become hungry.
But the reality was that the Blood Drum had lost its effectiveness because it was hungry.
"How can we feed it?" the high priest asked.
"It must be fed by a bloody battle. Only then will the Blood Drum be satisfied."
The Qiang Tribe’s previous sacrifices had been of captives and commoners. The Blood Drum, however, despised that kind of sacrifice. Only the blood of elite warriors would quench its cravings. It would rather starve to death than indulge in such worthless blood.
The Qiang Tribe had indeed been performing sacrifices, but they had been mostly useless.
This was why the Blood Drum had eventually fallen asleep.
However, Frost knew exactly what was going on with this drum.
The Blood Drum was constructed from the eyelid of a god. Because the drum possessed divine power, it was able to unleash an incredible might. This was also why sacrifices were necessary.
The Blood Drum could be satisfied by worshipping it as well.
Of course, because Frost wanted to stir up chaos, he would not tell them the full truth. It was also true that this method would yield more instantaneous results.
"How many warriors are needed?" Ancient Gong asked.
"The more the better. The Blood Drum’s power is related to how full it is. Every time you use it, some of the Blood Drum’s power will be expended. The best way to help it recover is to use it in battle," Frost replied.
The Qiang Tribe of old had relied on the Blood Drum to steamroll their way across Barbarian territory. As such, they had unintentionally met the Blood Drum’s requirements. After unifying their territory, however, war became rare, and the Blood Drum slowly but surely began to row hungry. This was why the Qiang Tribe had only discovered the Blood Drum’s ineffectiveness when it was too late.