Famu left the Blackwater Swamp.
He returned to the Arensa Wetlands and met Ysera, the White Stork Empress.
Ysera's two offspring were playing on the head of a swamp crocodile, which was now just a head with two huge holes in its forehead, as if its skull had been pierced by two sharp canine teeth.
"It's been a long time, Famu. How have you been?" Ysera asked.
"Have you heard?" Famu cut to the chase, "The lord of the Mara River is no longer in her Lord's Land; she has left."
Ysera instinctively became alert; she knew it, but only recently.
The messengers in the Arensa Wetlands stopped arriving at the very beginning of the rainy season; communication ceased. She was dealing with Pollution and searching for the Swamp King, paying no attention to the Mara River.
But she began to sense something was amiss when she only met Dalenmayou in the Lord's Lands.
Then Word-Bearer Colin, bringing new information: many Intelligent Species in the rainforest now knew that Tessa was not in their territory.
Now, the powerful Baptized Typhon has been making a scene, saying that the lord is not in the territory, and he looks very aggressive.
Those Typhons King's Territory are entitled to establish their own territories. This right to conquer and rule is granted to them by the Queen's law. If the baptized can defeat the lord, they can take his place. Ysera, with her long lifespan, has a deep understanding of the Typhons, a super-species. She mistakenly believes that Famu wants to take advantage of the situation and seize the territory of the Lord of Bronze.
"I do not recommend that you do this, Your Famu," Ysera said.
Famu was indeed a powerful Baptized Typhon, but he was no match for the Bronze Tessa in her prime.
This is the difference between a lord and a warrior.
Typhon's desire for the ley lines is understandable, and his covetousness for the lord's position is even more so. Ysera was thinking about how to persuade Famu to give up this idea. Dalenmayou gave her the Bronze Bone, and she did not want territorial disputes to descend upon that harmonious and peaceful land.
"The bloodline of the Lord of the Silent River in the west has been through many upheavals, being cleansed every few hundred years. Only in recent years has a Muerjia established a stable rule. But the Bronze Bloodline of the Mara River has been hereditary for thousands of years, and its position has never been shaken. Do you know why?" Ysera asked.
Famu looked at her, waiting for her to continue; this Lake Crown was very learned.
That's the advantage of birds; they're not limited to a specific region, and they can occasionally travel to faraway places to see more things.
Ysera continued, "The Bronze Bloodline is one of the oldest bloodlines in Typhon. Aside from the 'Muerjia,' who rules the ley lines, you should have heard of the title 'Pillar of Heaven and Earth.' In the Mud Language, 'Pillar of Heaven and Earth' means 'one who stands between heaven and earth,' but now it specifically refers to the oldest bloodline in Typhon."
"The Bronze Tessa of the Mara River is one of the 'Pillar of Heaven and Earth'."
Scholars have carefully studied the rulers who once ruled the Mara River. These ancient lords possessed a kind of magical skill, and remnants of that skill can still be found in the waters of the Mara River, such as the rocky peaks at the confluence of the Mara River and Samei Rivers, where the rock crevices narrow the entrance to the Mara River, forming a huge waterfall.
"Although no creature has ever seen Tessa, the current Lord of Bronze, wield this weapon, believe me, Famu, if you were to witness firsthand the rocky peaks at the confluence of the Mara River, you would not entertain the thought of challenging the Lord of Bronze. Although she has temporarily departed, it is only for half a rainy season, a very short time for such a being. She will return sooner or later."
"Lady Ysera, I think you've misunderstood. I have no ill intentions towards the Lord of Bronze." Famu corrected her after listening to Ysera's description, saying, "I possess Tessa's token and am qualified to enter the Lord's Lands. I only hope you can guide me, as this is my first time going to the upper reaches of the Mara River, and I'm not familiar with the area."
Lake Crown was able to retrieve the Bronze Bone from the Lord's Lands, so their relationship must be quite good.
Famu came looking for the guide.
"Please forgive my intrusion, but may I ask what your token is?" Ysera, surprised.
"Tessa's Slough," Famu replied.
Ysera fell silent, staring at Famu for several moments. "You don't seem like a descendant of the Bronze Bloodline... but I accept your invitation. Since you possess this precious item, every drop of water from the Mara River will bless you, and I have an obligation to guide a 'Muerjia' —it is my honor."
Moreover, Ysera is very worried about Dalenmayou.
He was a compassionate master of commerce.
"Call--!"
The clouds dispersed.
The Lake Crown spread its wings and skimmed across the surface of the Mara River.
At this moment, the banks of the Mara River are completely silent.
If we compare the noisy creatures to windows, now that the windows are closing one after another, it's as if the animals are trying to hide their own heartbeats.
Simply because that enormous creature was floating on the river.
The river washed over the enormous Slough.
It once belonged to a Typhon of the lord class, and even after shedding its skin, it still retained the complete texture of its scales. The Slough floated in the water, gleaming with a bronze luster in the sunlight.
Famu swam in the water. The Slough so large that it wrapped around his body and unfurled under the rushing water, like a giant flag.
The monkeys on the bank fell silent, the birds in the canopy folded their wings, and several Long-snouted Tapirs drinking in the shallows raised their heads, watching the slowly passing shadow. Before Famu, only the deep green river flowed; no creature dared to stand in his way.
Because he is Muerjia, Typhon, draped in this Slough, is Muerjia of the Mara River.
Everything deserves his respect.
As the river flows Famu, the muddy floodwaters gradually recede in the upper reaches. The closer one gets to the source of the river, the clearer the water becomes, and the taller the trees on the banks grow. The roots of the trees grow into the riverbank, and the leaves fall into the water, where they are caught by Slough and pushed away by the current.
Daylight fades, night falls, and Ysera's wings guide Famu.
After that, the riverbanks hardened, and large areas of bedrock began to appear beneath the silt. Famu had never been so close to the source of the Mara River. The rocks below were tinged with copper green and shone in the dark water. Their surfaces were rusted by the water, but their original sharpness was still visible.
"Famu, we are about to enter the territory of the Lord of Bronze," Ysera warned.
Famu looked up from underwater and saw bronze rock peaks piercing the land on both banks. The two peaks, like swords, crossed above the river, forming a gateway. Ysera lowered her flight altitude and flew under the peaks, never exceeding their height. Famu swam over, feeling as if he had passed through something; the two bronze rock peaks truly possessed the power of isolation.
The Earth Vein Energy inside and outside are completely different.
Meanwhile, more and more bronze rocks protruded from beneath the silt. Some were less than a meter long, while others broke through the water's surface, the water crashing against them with a thunderous roar.
Similar rocky peaks began to appear along the riverbank, with vines and small trees entwined on the dark green rocks. From a distance, the valley looked as if it were growing on a giant bronze artifact.
The water flow carried Famu forward.
He saw a light green Typhon resting on the riverbank. The little creature was slender and only about a third the size of Famu. When it saw Famu, especially his Slough floating in the water, it flicked its tongue and darted into the dense forest.
Famu arrived at a wide river bend where the current slowed down and the cliffs on both sides closed in from the riverbank, forming a natural gorge.
Ysera stopped and found a branch to stand on.
"Your Famu, this is Muerjia's residence. We have arrived."
Famu crouched in the water, gazing at the enormous creature.
Seeing it in a dream is one thing, but seeing such a building in reality still makes him marvel at Typhon's creativity.
A bronze fortress.
The earth serves as its walls, and hundreds of bronze rock peaks rise from the ground, tilting inwards before merging together to form a massive conical mountain, much like a giant bronze pyramid.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the rust beneath the moss and vines.
It is in such a place that the river flows past its feet, carrying the will of the fortress's owner to all directions.