The mate-bond ceremony was a significant event within the tribe.
At the center of the tribe, which was usually sparsely lit with only a few illumination fires after nightfall, was now brightly illuminated with flames.
In the central clearing, a massive bonfire illuminated the entire area clearly. In front of the bonfire, a long wooden table stretching over ten meters was laden with food and beast heads.
These beast heads were the prey hunted by the male Beastmen who were to be mated today.
Lin Xi glanced over and saw Wu Chen’s four-horned beast head placed right in the center, appearing particularly imposing and eye-catching compared to the ordinary Giant Beast heads beside it.
Tonight, there were actually more than just Lin Xi and Wu Chen participating in the mate-bond ceremony. However, Lin Xi felt relieved that the ceremony was conducted collectively rather than pair by pair, which eased her social anxiety considerably.
The so-called mate-bond ceremony was remarkably simple.
The two Beastmen confirming their bond first had to swear an oath to the Beast God.
Lin Xi stood with Wu Chen before the sacrificial altar, facing the roaring bonfire behind it.
Beyond the bonfire, the vague outline of a massive black mountain could be seen in the darkness.
Was this the meaning behind the name Mountain Fire Tribe?
As Lin Xi pondered, the Wu of the tribe approached her and Wu Chen.
This was Lin Xi’s first time seeing the tribe’s Wu.
Unlike the images of Wu she had seen in films or read about in novels, this Wu was exceptionally young and beautiful.
Even though she dressed similarly to the other Beastmen, Lin Xi sensed a touch of sanctity about her!
The Wu stood before Lin Xi and Wu Chen, holding a bowl of dark liquid in one hand and a tree branch in the other.
She dipped the leaves on the branch into the liquid, then flicked it a few times onto the four-horned beast head belonging to Lin Xi and Wu Chen, while murmuring something under her breath.
Lin Xi strained her ears to listen but couldn’t make out what was being said; it sounded more like a series of guttural beast-like utterances.
After flicking the liquid, the Wu used the other end of the branch to dip into the bowl again. Placing the bowl on the sacrificial altar, she turned first to Wu Chen and asked:
“Where?”
Upon hearing this, Wu Chen immediately raised his hand and pointed to his chest: “Here.”
Seeing his gesture, a faint smile appeared in the Wu’s eyes. She then raised the branch and swiftly drew on Wu Chen’s chest. Lin Xi watched curiously but soon widened her eyes in surprise.
The Wu had actually drawn a… naked human figure on Wu Chen’s chest!
Lin Xi blinked, almost instantly guessing the meaning behind the pattern, and her face flushed bright red!
Did it have to be so direct?!
At least draw some clothes on it!
Soon, it was Lin Xi’s turn.
Sure enough, the Wu asked Lin Xi the same question.
Lin Xi felt somewhat embarrassed.
She had observed earlier that the previous two Beastmen couples had chosen different locations for their beast marks, so it wasn’t necessary to choose the chest.
However, Lin Xi glanced at the gradually drying pattern on Wu Chen’s chest.
She didn’t want to leave any unnecessary misunderstandings or hidden troubles for their future “companion” life together.
So, she tugged the strap of her beast-skin halter dress to the side: “Here too.”
The moment the words fell, Lin Xi clearly heard the suddenly intensified breathing of the Beastman beside her! The bare ankle beneath her skirt was tightly pressed by a fluffy tail!
“Good.”
Wu curled his lips into a smile again. Soon, the beast mark on Lin Xi’s body was also completed.
She looked down and saw it was indeed a black panther pattern—only five centimeters long but with distinct features that couldn’t be mistaken for any other feline.
Would this beast mark remain permanently? Or would it wash off after a few days? Lin Xi wondered, planning to ask Wu Chen after the ceremony ended.
With the beast mark drawn, the Mate-bond ceremony had only one final step left.
Wu beckoned to the side, and two tall Beastmen carried the processed four-horned beast hide over together.
The appearance of the hide immediately drew exclamations of amazement from the crowd of Beastmen watching the ceremony!
“It really is a four-horned beast hide! So beautiful!”
“Of course it’s real—the beast’s head is displayed right up front!”
“Wu Chen actually killed a four-horned beast by himself. Even if he’s a Crippled beast, he must be one of the tribe’s strongest warriors, right?”
“That beast head is full of valuable parts. Do you think Wu Chen would trade the skull for a Giant Boar Beast?”
“How would I know? Why don’t you go ask him?”
By then, the two Beastmen had held up the massive hide and displayed it fully before the crowd.
After the display, they returned to the back, folded the hide neatly, and handed it to Wu Chen.
“Alright, Wu Chen, take good care of your Female beast and live well!”
“Yes, Wu!”
Wu Chen nodded, took Lin Xi’s hand, and led her toward their seats among the Beastmen.
Two more pairs of Beastmen still had their ceremonies to complete.
After Lin Xi and Wu Chen’s ceremony concluded, the four-horned beast meat Wu Chen had brought back began to be distributed among the attending Beastmen.
Though the four-horned beast was large, the tribe had many Beastmen, so each received only a palm-sized portion of meat.
This was merely a symbolic gesture, and no one found it unusual.
Once the final two Beastman couples completed their Mate-bond ceremonies, the night’s festivities officially began!
Lin Xi didn’t see what Wu threw into the bonfire, but she watched as a basin of liquid was splashed into the flames, causing them to surge higher!
Scattered crimson sparks drifted into the deep sky, like a flowing river of stars across the night—filled with a wild, romantic beauty.
As the fiery flames leaped, the untamed spirit in the Beastmen’s blood seemed ignited. Cheers and howls erupted everywhere, and Lin Xi even heard long, resonant wolf cries!
Sitting idly by her small fire, she felt the excited, joyous shouts wash over her like tidal waves, invading her eardrums.
Though utterly bewildered by the scene before her, her heart involuntarily raced along with the euphoric cries.
As her mind swelled with the surrounding noise, a large, warm hand pulled her up. Following the gradually rhythmic shouts of the beastmen ahead, the crowd surged. In a daze, Lin Xi suddenly snapped back to reality, only to find that she had unknowingly merged into the crowd, dancing joyfully around the massive bonfire in a chaotic mix of styles!
The bonfire before her was warm and bright, symbolizing hope.
The atmosphere among the surrounding crowd was one of simple, natural happiness, free from the modern world’s chaotic pressures.
Lin Xi was only stunned for a moment before she stopped caring.
She let out a breath, the tension on her face vanishing as she looked up at the beastman standing beside her, who shielded her from the crowd. Lin Xi flashed her most relaxed smile!
She thought to herself: as long as she wished it, her future life would surely be filled with hope!