Inheritance

"Go straight for it?"

Huo Xian's words completely silenced Shen Can.

Didn't even need an internship?

He felt it was a bit too fast. He had just become the Temple Guardian of the tribe's Ancestral Temple and was already being promoted.

The old man was too impatient.

"Don't be afraid, learn from me."

Huo Xian placed the Luan Knife and the blood goblet into Shen Can's hands, one in each, and then picked up a bronze pot from the wooden frame, containing a viscous, blood-red liquid.

"Follow me."

Shen Can obediently followed behind Huo Xian.

Seeing Huo Xian's actions, Huo Shan, who was about to leave, stopped instead and signaled for everyone present to quiet down.

"The first step of the sacrifice is prayer, drawing runes on the beast's ear. I'll draw next to you, and you can learn."

Shen Can nodded in agreement with Huo Xian, who had immediately started teaching. In fact, he had already seen the process of sacrificing to the Ancestral Temple countless times in his memory.

Prayer involved chanting the "Wusheng Curse" by the ear after drawing runes on the wild beast: "Shengquan Feitu, Zi Sheng Feng Bei," meaning to pray for the sacrificial animal to be pure and without blemish.

It was said that in larger tribes, the sacrifice to the Ancestral Temple was even more elaborate. The captured wild beasts would be kept and fed medicinal herbs to cleanse their stomachs for a period.

They ate better than the warriors of the Blazing Flame Tribe.

Before the sacrifice, wild beasts with uniform fur color and no injuries would be selected as offerings.

There were even many types of vessels for holding offerings.

The Blazing Flame Tribe did not have these conditions.

Although Huo Xian looked old, he was quite impatient. He drew witch runes on the ground with his finger, letting Shen Can practice a few times.

"Good, you can draw witch runes on the beast's ear now."

Shen Can's rune drawings were winding and somewhat weak, but he still received praise from Huo Xian, who then handed him the bronze pot containing the blood-colored liquid.

He gestured for Shen Can to begin.

The Mountain-Cleaving Kui struggled on the ground, tightly bound. A'Yu walked up and pressed it down.

"Brother Can, you draw the runes with confidence, I'll hold it down for you."

However, A'Yu's strength was still a bit lacking, and the Mountain-Cleaving Kui shook him along with its struggles.

"Come on, everyone lend a hand. It's Ah Can's first time presiding over the sacrifice. If we lose face, we lose face too. Our ancestors will only scold us for not being united."

With that, Huo Shan also walked towards the Mountain-Cleaving Kui. The tribesmen who had been watching from the cave entrance also came in laughing, and they firmly pressed down the bound Mountain-Cleaving Kui.

"Thank you all, uncles and brothers. Ah Can is grateful."

Shen Can expressed his thanks. Although he was being forced into it, with everyone united, he actually felt no panic at that moment.

Shen Can glanced back at Huo Xian, who nodded with a gentle expression.

"Ah Can, relax. We're holding it securely."

Huo Shan placed his hands on the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's two horns. The immense strength immediately pinned the Kui, preventing any movement, and pulled its ears outward.

Shen Can dipped his hand into the liquid in the bronze pot and drew on the beast's ears. Drawing runes on the beast's ear was more difficult than on the ground. The slightly soft ear made his fingers' strokes more curved, like crawling insects.

"Ah Can, this is your first sacrifice. The ancestors' spirits will only be pleased that there is someone to carry on the tradition, and they will not blame you."

With Huo Xian's words, Shen Can's hand became smoother. Soon, he had drawn witch runes on both of the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's ears, chanting as he did so.

"Shengquan Feitu, Zi Sheng Feng Bei."

After chanting, he took the Luan Knife handed to him by Huo Xian, held it above his head with both hands, and bowed towards the divine position.

Then, grabbing the Luan Knife, he approached the Mountain-Cleaving Kui.

Although this Mountain-Cleaving Kui had not yet entered the ranks, it was covered in scales. If the knife struck the scales, with his strength, which wasn't even at the Stone Splitter Realm, it would be difficult to pierce the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's neck, let alone collect blood into the blood goblet.

The subsequent dismemberment of the Kui's body and offering its shoulders and ribs to the ancestors was even more out of the question.

"Stab here."

Then, another tribesman spoke.

Shen Can looked and saw that a large hand had already pried open the scales on the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's neck, revealing the area between the scales for him.

Huo Xian also witnessed this scene.

Decades ago, when he made his first stab at an animal offering to the ancestors, the tribesmen had guided him like this.

Generation after generation, he too had grown old.

Next, it was time to pass it on hand by hand.

With no time to thank the tribesmen for their help, Shen Can gripped the Luan Knife and thrust it down.

With a "thud" and the jingle of the Luan Knife, the blade pierced the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's neck.

At this moment, Shen Can suddenly felt a surge of blood-red light in his eyes, as if a wisp from the bloody scene before him was directly absorbed by him. He instinctively reached out to wipe his reddened eyes.

However, he felt a thought manifest in his mind, and a delicate, three-legged cauldron appeared within his senses, as if it had merged with his flesh and blood.

Sacrifice Master: Shen Can

Martial Dao Realm: Unranked.

Sacrificial Artifact: Sacrificial Cauldron

Tempering Method: Kui Ox Fist (Inferior)

Cultivation Method: None

Martial Dao Divine Abilities: None

Attributes: Sacrificial Heavy Artifact, absorbs the lifespan of sacrificial offerings, can protect the body, nourish the spirit, and derive martial arts.

[Sacrifice Master seized 33 years of lifespan from the sacrificial offering, Mountain-Cleaving Kui]

At this moment, three words, "(Can be deduced)", appeared after the previously listed "Kui Ox Fist (Inferior)".

Shen Can was quite surprised that the tribe's sole inherited martial arts cultivation method was judged as inferior.

This fist technique had already been cultivated by the original owner for over ten years before Shen Can transmigrated.

Simply put, it involved eating beast meat to refine the fist technique, strengthening one's body. Once the physique was sufficiently tempered, one could soak in beast blood to complete the final advancement.

Shen Can had also witnessed this soaking process. It involved being submerged in a blood trough, enduring the impact of the beast blood on one's body. Periodically, one would emerge from the trough and begin practicing the Kui Ox Fist.

This process of repeated soaking and punching would continue until one could no longer endure it or successfully advanced.

It was a very crude method of advancement.

During the last annual sacrifice, out of eleven tribesmen who soaked in beast blood, only three were successful. Two of them had soaked in beast blood once before, making them repeat soakers.

The success rate was low, and the injury rate remained high.

Setting aside the cultivation situation of other tribesmen, just looking at Shen Can's own situation, after practicing for over ten years, advancement was still nowhere in sight.

The inferior grade fist technique, Kui Ox Fist, truly lived up to its name, as its absorption of beast blood energy was too low.

The fact that this inferior Kui Ox Fist was now showing "(Can be deduced)" made Shen Can snap to attention.

Could it be that as long as there was enough lifespan, the Kui Ox Fist could be deduced to a higher grade?

And lifespan...

He had gained thirty-three years from just one sacrifice, and the tribe always performed sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple after each successful hunt.

"Roar!"

His ears buzzed with the roar, startling Shen Can awake.

"Aow!"

The Mountain-Cleaving Kui struggled violently in pain, but it was held down firmly, unable to move.

According to the rules of sacrificing to the ancestors, the blood extraction from the sacrificial animal required the beast blood not to splash, which was considered the highest quality.

With his senses returning, Shen Can quickly grabbed the bronze goblet to collect the Mountain-Cleaving Kui's blood. During this process, no matter how the Mountain-Cleaving Kui struggled, it was held down firmly by a large hand, and not a single drop of beast blood splashed out.

"Huh, it seems Ah Can is a person of great fortune. This Mountain-Cleaving Kui isn't struggling much."

At this moment, Huo Shan spoke. He felt the struggling of the Mountain-Cleaving Kui he was holding lessen.

With the help of everyone, he finally completed the second step of blood collection. Holding the bronze goblet with both hands, he walked towards the divine seat under Huo Xian's guidance.

The beast blood needed to be smeared on the temple gates, pillars, stone drums, and the sacrificial artifacts within the Ancestral Temple. The remainder would be sent into the Ancestral Temple.

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain at the moment. The tribe's buildings below the mountain had already been washed away, and the entire tribe had migrated to the mountain to escape the flood, making the sacrifice a bit simpler.

Shen Can smeared the beast blood on the stone pillars and stone drums placed in the mountain cave, and finally placed the bronze goblet on the altar.

After completing these steps, the next task was to divide the meat.

The ancestors were to be served first. Seven major parts of the sacrificial beast needed to be separated: the spine, both shoulders, both ribs, and both hips. These were to be placed on the bronze table and offered into the Ancestral Temple as sacrifices.

The meat from the left shoulder was to be offered to the ancestors first.

After completing this, the remaining meat could be divided for everyone to enjoy.

With the help of the tribesmen, Shen Can completed the dissection of the Mountain-Cleaving Kui. Although the process was slow and intermittent, the sacrifice was ultimately completed.

One personal hands-on experience yielded more results than over a dozen practice sessions.

As Shen Can placed the bronze table before the offering table, Huo Xian, who had walked over and was ready to lend a hand, spoke.

"Ah Can, a long time ago, besides sacrificing to our ancestors, our people also sacrificed to heaven and earth, and to disaster beasts, praying for stability."

Actually, Shen Can didn't need Huo Xian to say it; he already had similar legends in his memory. These were things passed down through generations of the tribe.

At this moment, he listened quietly as Huo Xian spoke.

"Take the beast fat and the beast head, burn them on a pyre, the smoke rising to the sky, that is sacrificing to heaven."

"Combine the remaining beast body and bury it in a pit, the blood and food returning to the earth, that is sacrificing to earth."

"Hunt live creatures at the altar, that is sacrificing to beasts."

"Yet, after eating our offerings, they did not protect us."

"Heavenly lightning, earthquakes, disaster beasts emerging, the land scorched for thousands of miles, the seas flooded vast oceans. Therefore, our ancestors no longer believed in heaven and earth, nor did they respect disaster beasts. They relied only on their own hands to survive and find food in the Great Wilderness."

"These divine seats are not inanimate objects; they are the embodiment of the spiritual essence of the Blazing Flame Tribe's three hundred years of inheritance. From now on, I will pass this burden to you."