Is the closed beta test of King of Loque over? The official release is here!

The command that Song Chen was about to utter got stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor coming out, and the expression on his face froze instantly.

He watched helplessly as the pile of rubble vanished in a flash of lightning, feeling like a clumsy actor who had prepared his lines for ages only to have someone steal his spotlight a second before he was supposed to go on stage.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the scene behind the rubble was clearly revealed to everyone.

It was a huge double stone door, ten meters high.

The door is carved with ancient runes that share the same origin as the stone carvings in the canyon. The door is tightly closed, exuding a heavy and desolate ancient aura, as if it has been sealed here for thousands of years.

At the same time, a new system notification sounded again.

The Gates of Pandonogg Valley - Now Open

Chapter 185 Easter Egg Festival

As the system notification sound faded, the massive stone door, sealed for thousands of years, slowly opened with a deep, rumbling sound.

What peeked through the crack in the door was not the darkness one had expected, but a soft, yet blinding, white light.

The light seemed to possess a life of its own, instantly engulfing all eighteen people standing at the door.

The familiar feeling of weightlessness and dizziness returned.

When their vision refocused, they found themselves in a completely new location.

It's like a huge open-air plaza, paved with smooth bluestone, surrounded by uniquely shaped buildings that combine trees and stones, the trees emitting a faint glow. A fresh scent of earth and plants permeates the air.

However, before everyone could take a closer look at this new world...

Who are you people?!

Two sharp, questioning voices suddenly rang out.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw two strange "creatures" rush out from behind a wooden house, holding sharpened wooden spears and aiming them at them.

The two creatures were less like humans and more like two large, orange-yellow potatoes, each over a meter tall. Their round bodies had short limbs, and they wore only grass skirts woven from a few large leaves. Their faces were painted with exaggerated white stripes, and their eyes were wary and fierce.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

"Hey! These two little potatoes are quite unique in appearance."

Niu Kuang's loud voice broke the silence. He looked at the two "potatoes" with great interest, his eyes filled with pure curiosity, as if he had seen a new variety of vegetables in the market.

"What did you say?!" One of the potato guards was enraged by the address, his body puffing up with anger. "We are the warriors of Pandonog! How dare you outsiders speak so disrespectfully!"

Another guard shouted angrily, "Judging from your sneaky behavior, you wouldn't happen to be thieves trying to steal our sacred relics, would you!"

Before the words were finished, the two "Potato Warriors" raised their wooden spears at the same time, the tips of the spears flashing with a faint green light, and a strong energy wave spread out.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Song Chen frowned, about to reprimand him.

"Wait a moment."

A gentle voice rang out first.

Lin Sen stepped out of the crowd, his signature business smile still on his face. He raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

“Two warriors, I think there may be some misunderstanding between us,” he said in a calm and sincere tone. “We came here by accident through a magic circle and have no ill intentions toward your land.”

He paused, glanced at the two guards, and continued, "Excuse me, do you have someone in charge here? Perhaps we can explain the situation to him."

Lin Sen's words were clear and logical, and his humble attitude effectively eased the hostility of the two guards.

Just as the two guards looked at each other, seemingly hesitating.

An old yet gentle voice came from deep within the wooden house.

"Let them come over."

Everyone looked up and saw an old man who was also "potato-shaped," but even more emaciated, with deeper wrinkles on his face, and leaning on a spiral wooden cane, slowly walking towards them.

As soon as he appeared, the two menacing guards immediately put away their spears and respectfully stepped aside.

The old man walked up to the crowd, his cloudy but seemingly all-seeing eyes scanning the faces of the eighteen people one by one.

Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying the weight of years.

"Young magicians, are you the chosen ones who have been guided here by destiny?"

The Chosen One?

Niu Kuang subconsciously picked his nose, looking completely confused: "What the hell?"

However, before he could finish speaking...

"That's right!"

Song Chen stepped forward, head held high, his face displaying just the right amount of confidence and solemnity, and accepted the title without hesitation.

"Respected elder, we are the chosen ones who have been summoned...the chosen ones!"

His quick answer startled the team members behind him, but they quickly recovered, straightened their backs, and adopted a mysterious and inscrutable expression.

Mo Fan watched this scene calmly, but inwardly he gave Song Chen a thumbs up for his quick reaction.

Although this guy is annoying, he has a keen sense for seizing opportunities to pat himself on the back.

"Very good, very good..."

A glimmer of light seemed to appear in the Elder's cloudy eyes, and he nodded with satisfaction.

“I am the Great Elder of the Pandonog tribe. This is the secluded Pandonog Valley.”

"According to the ancient prophecy of the Tablet of Destiny, whenever the mist dissipates, eighteen chosen ones will pass through the Gate of Mist to participate in our tribe's most important celebration—the Egg Festival."

“However,” the elder changed the subject, “this year’s Easter Egg Festival will not officially begin for another week.”

"You need to make some preparations for the opening of the celebration during this week."

"As the chosen ones, you must first choose the tribe to which you belong before you can proceed with the next steps."

"A tribe?" Fang Xu asked instinctively.

The elder nodded and gently tapped the ground with his wooden staff.

“Although our Pandonog is a unified large tribe, it is divided into three sub-tribes that compete with and support each other.”

"They are—"

"The Stone Clan, who revere control and totems."

"The Bone Clan, who specialize in priesthood and divination."

"And the Wood Clan, who are close to life and nature."

"The eighteen of you will each choose a tribe to join. Over the next week, you will represent your respective tribes in a series of competitions. The best chosen one will receive the most generous blessing from Pandonog on the day of the Easter Festival."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Chen once again seized the initiative.

"Elder, we don't know much about the 'Easter Egg Festival' and 'Blessing' you mentioned. Could you explain them to us in detail?" he asked politely, adopting the demeanor of a student representative.

“Of course, Chosen Ones.” The Grand Elder smiled kindly. “It’s a long story. I’ll take you to your lodgings first, and then I’ll tell you the story of Pandonog along the way.”

Having said that, the elder turned around, leaning on his wooden cane, and walked unsteadily toward the depths of the square.

The group exchanged glances, their expressions varied, but they all followed in unison.

In the group, Mo Fan's gaze swept over the names of the Stone Clan, Bone Clan, and Wood Clan, his eyes flickering slightly.

Fragments of memories from the beta testing period flashed rapidly through my mind.

At this moment, Song Chen, who was walking at the front, had a confident smile on his lips.

As he listened to the Grand Elder's account, his eyes began to dart between the Murong sisters, his mind racing as he calculated how to win over these two powerful sisters to his chosen side.

Chapter 186 The Adorable Elf King

The group followed the elder in silence as they walked across the square.

The buildings on both sides have a strange style, like a patchwork of elements from different styles. Some houses are based on huge gray rocks, with walls reinforced with the bones of unknown animals, and roofs covered with thick bark and vines.

These buildings are generally not tall, mostly single-story structures, and their shapes resemble flattened Mongolian yurts. Only a few buildings blend into the tall trees, spiraling upwards, seemingly having a second story.

The air is filled with the weight of stones, the vicissitudes of bones, and the vitality of trees—three distinct scents blending together to create an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

The elder walked slowly, his voice aged and drawn-out, as if he were chanting an ancient ballad.

“Long, long ago, our ancestors lived deep underground in a mine called Labrang.”

"Deep underground resources are scarce. In order to compete for territory and food, the Stone Tribe, Bone Tribe, and Wood Tribe have been fighting all year round. The war is endless and they have almost reached the brink of self-destruction."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions varied. A thoughtful look flashed in Song Chen's eyes, while Lin Sen habitually adjusted his glasses, seemingly assessing the value of this historical event.

"Until a great man appeared." A trace of reverence and longing appeared in the elder's cloudy eyes.

"The first adorable Elf King, Lord Barton. He passed through this place and, unable to bear seeing the suffering of the people, intervened to mediate the war. He allowed the three races to put aside their hatred and live together in this place, forming the original Pandonog tribe."

"But peace did not bring lasting tranquility. In the early years, the tribesmen indulged in pleasure and wasted food recklessly. Soon, a great famine struck."

"Lord Barton reappeared, leaving behind a seed from the Wishing Tree. The seed took root and grew into a towering sacred tree that stretched throughout the earth. Our ancestors made wishing eggs and prayed to the tree for food, and the tree answered their wishes."

“From then on, the tribe made an ancestral oath: to live underground for generations and protect the sacred tree; to hold an egg festival every year during the coldest time and to make wishes and pray for blessings with colored eggs. The most important oath is to always cherish food and never make the same mistake again.”

(PS: This is not made up, but based on official history.)

The story is short, but it outlines a complete worldview.

As they spoke, the elder led everyone to a relatively open area where five independent houses, constructed of a mixture of stone and wood, stood.

"Chosen Ones, this is where you are to stay." The Grand Elder stopped and pointed to the five houses with his wooden staff. "There are only five rooms available, so you can allocate them as you see fit."

He paused, then added, "Tomorrow morning, at the celebration square, I hope you will make a choice and decide which tribe you want to join."

Just then, Lin Sen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and asked a crucial question: "Elder, may I ask if we can all join the same tribe?"

As soon as this question was raised, everyone's attention turned to the Grand Elder. If they could band together, they could undoubtedly minimize the risks.

A hint of a smile flashed in the elder's cloudy eyes, and he shook his head.

"Of course. But if everyone joins the same tribe, then there is no 'competition'."

"On Egg Festival, you will all receive only the minimum blessing."