Five thousand li east of the Blazing Flame Tribe lay a vast marsh called Da Ye Marsh. Within it lived strange fish with one head and ten bodies, their cries like the barking of dogs.
The strange fish from Da Ye Marsh had appeared outside the tribe. Clearly, the floodwaters had reached the marsh, allowing the creature to swim upstream against the current.
Hearing that it was a Second-tier strange fish, the tribespeople in every cave breathed a sigh of relief.
Ever since corpses and bones had drifted in with the flood, everyone in the tribe except the children had been on edge, afraid that some terrifying Desolate Beast would suddenly emerge.
The calamities of the Great Wilderness followed no rules at all. No one knew when they might suddenly spring out.
People naturally feared the unknown, and when their own strength was lacking, that fear only grew deeper.
Shen Can was the same.
There was only one reason for his wild thoughts: he lacked confidence.
He truly feared that a third-tier Desolate Beast would come, leaving him no time to grow.
Before long, the tribe grew busy. Slabs of beast meat were taken out by the tribespeople and delivered to the Mountain Opener realm tribespeople by the shore.
A second-tier strange fish was the finest gift the days of torrential rain could have given the Blazing Flame Tribe.
Second-tier beast blood was an essential resource for advancing into the Second Tier Mountain Opening Realm. The tribe had not produced a new mountain opener realm martial artist in several years.
The moment the strange fish was discovered, Huo Tang ordered the tribespeople to begin hunting it.
The human race had survived in the Great Wilderness not only through martial arts, but also through skillful use of tools and mutual cooperation.
At least when hunting Desolate Beasts below the third tier, those methods remained very useful.
Huo Shan and the others threw beast meat into the floodwaters.
The flood rushed violently, and the beast meat was swept away the instant it was tossed in.
No one stopped.
"Woof..."
At last, another doglike bark rang out from the floodwaters.
From the murky flood surged a strange fish, black from head to tail.
Its bloated, fused body was round and plump, as though many fish bodies had been pressed together.
Splash!
Its millstone-sized mouth swallowed the falling beast meat in one bite, and floodwater poured through the gaps between its jaws.
"Throw more!"
Seeing this, the tribespeople on the shore threw down more beast meat, luring the strange fish closer.
"Fire!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
When the strange fish came within less than three zhang of the shore, hooked spears tore through the air and plunged into its body.
Rumble!
Before the fish had any chance to struggle, it was flung straight out of the flood and smashed heavily against the mountainside.
After reaching shore, the strange fish slapped its tail against the rock wall, producing thunderous booms. Beast blood gushed from where it had been pierced.
"Quick, catch it! Don't waste this fish blood."
Shen Can had not clearly seen the actual fight, but the bloated strange fish entered his sight. It was enormous.
When the mountains and rivers seemed exhausted and the road ahead doubtful, a village appeared amid dark willows and bright flowers. He had thought he would have to wait bitterly for the rain to end, yet dinner had arrived already.
This Mountain Opening Realm strange fish—who knew how long it could live?
The strange fish was soon dragged into the ancestral temple.
Outside the cave, heads of all sizes packed together.
To show proper respect for a second-tier Desolate Beast, Shen Can had long since smoothed out his hemp clothes and made his preliminary preparations before taking up his post.
"Master, let me do it!"
Seeing Huo Xian walk toward the wooden rack holding the blood vessel and Luan Knife, Shen Can hurriedly spoke.
Just as before, the strange fish was firmly pinned down by the tribespeople.
Only, the martial artists holding it down were stronger than last time. They were all second-tier martial artists from the tribe.
His confidence in daring to stab a second-tier strange fish came from this: tribespeople were there to help him.
In truth, it would have been the same if Master Huo Xian had done it. Huo Xian had been a Stone Splitter Realm martial artist in his younger days, but as he aged, his qi and blood had long declined.
Thus, whenever the tribe hunted powerful prey, the tribespeople would pin it down first and let Huo Xian act.
"Little A-Can, you really have become the temple heir."
"Stab boldly. Your uncle won't let go."
"The ancestors are watching. All of you, shut up."
Huo Xian followed behind Shen Can, silencing the tribespeople who still wanted to speak.
"A-Can, begin."
Shen Can nodded.
Then he froze.
Draw the shamanic symbol on the beast's ear.
May I ask, where were a fish's ears?
Going straight from probation to full appointment—having no experience really would not do.
"The bones on either side of the fish's head are where its inner ears are." Huo Xian, who had been following him all along, spoke.
With his master covering for him, Shen Can climbed onto the strange fish's skull and found the inner ear position.
An intense fishy stench flooded his nostrils, nearly making him topple headfirst. Huo Xian, watching from beside him, revealed a nervous look.
When Huo Xian had become the temple heir, he had only begun handling offerings from second-tier Desolate Beasts after presiding over sacrifices for more than two years. Shen Can, by contrast, had followed him for barely over half a month in total.
The more powerful a Desolate Beast was, the stronger its own aura. Shen Can gritted his teeth and used the beast blood in the blood vessel as ink, tracing symbols over the fish's head.
What were you struggling for? I had come to collect you.
He muttered under his breath.
"Shengquan Feitu, with abundant grain offerings prepared."
The strange fish's bones and scales were hard all over. Fortunately, its lower jaw protruded considerably. Shen Can gripped the Luan Knife and used every ounce of his strength.
Pfft!
Strange fish blood gushed forth, pouring into the blood vessel.
Sacrificial Host seized the offering's lifespan: second-tier Great Wilderness Variant bloodline, He Luo Fish, three hundred and seventy years
As the Luan Knife pierced in, a thought flashed through Shen Can's mind.
Then, the He Luo Fish, which had been struggling violently, struggled much less fiercely.
After drawing blood came the butchering of the strange fish.
Unlike when they had broken down the Mountain-Cleaving Kui last time, the tribespeople brought stone troughs this time and collected all the strange fish blood, filling three entire stone troughs.
The Mountain Opener realm martial artists who had held down the strange fish stared at the troughs of fish blood, their eyes burning hot.
Shen Can was actually very familiar with that look. He had once stared at first-tier beast blood in exactly the same way.
"Once this old man has prepared the medicinal herbs, it can be used for soaking."
Huo Xian spoke, drawing everyone's attention back from the stone troughs.
Beast blood was violent and savage. Before every soaking, some medicinal herbs had to be added to neutralize it. Though the effect was slight, every tiny reduction might allow someone to succeed.
By the time the second-tier strange fish had been fully broken down, dawn was almost here.
Most of this second-tier meat would become rations for the second-tier martial artists. Some would be left for first-tier martial artists, while ordinary tribespeople would receive almost none.
Even a strange fish ten zhang long could only feed the Blazing Flame Tribe, with its thirteen Mountain Opener realm martial artists, for a few days. It was one of the rare provisions capable of increasing their strength.
The Zuò meat offered to the ancestors also drew tribespeople seeking a portion.
This time, however, it was no longer the children of the tribe, but Stone Splitter Realm martial artists and some tribespeople preparing to advance into the Stone Splitter Realm. A'Yu was among them.
As the temple heir, Shen Can chose a portion rich in qi and blood for A'Yu.
After distributing the meat, Shen Can had wanted to return and continue deducing the Kui Ox Fist. Yet when he saw that the candle flame in East Ear Cave still flickered, and that the wrinkles on Huo Xian's forehead had piled up into mountains, he stopped.
Three piles of medicinal ingredients had appeared on the stone desk, meant to neutralize the violent aura in the beast blood.
This was a prescription passed down by their ancestors.
Huo Xian's brows were tightly furrowed.
As the tribe's shamanic physician, one of the things he most wanted to do was improve the neutralizing prescription and reduce the explosive nature of beast blood.
"Jade Marrow Orchid, Bodhi Lotus Seed, Mountain Core Soil..."
Shen Can took out ceramic jars, preparing to store the three portions of medicinal ingredients separately.
"Wait a little. Let this old man think some more."
Huo Xian removed part of the Mountain Core Soil from one portion of medicinal ingredients, but shook his head and put it back.
The prescription for neutralizing herbs had been developed through the tribe's experiments over many years. Second-tier beast blood was hard to come by, and rash changes could greatly worsen the injuries of tribespeople soaking in beast blood, causing the tribe to lose Mountain Opener realm martial artists.
Before preparing beast blood each time, Huo Xian was deeply conflicted. He had spent decades looking forward and backward.
Seeing this, Shen Can did not disturb Huo Xian again. He quietly moved to stand in a corner.
"Deduce the Blazing Flame Tribe's shamanic prescription for neutralizing Mountain Opening Realm beast blood."
Having fused with the memories of this life, Shen Can understood very well.
Only if the Blazing Flame Tribe prospered could he prosper.
Secretly increasing the tribe's strength meant that once there were more martial artists in the tribe, they would naturally hunt more Desolate Beasts. It was a mutually reinforcing process.
Should the tribe fail to hold on, how could any egg remain unbroken beneath an overturned nest?
Besides, the tribespeople were all good to him.
Increasing the strength of the tribespeople was the same as raising his own security level. This had to be done.
Ancestors, bless me. Don't get me killed ahead of time.
Within the illusory three-legged Sacrificial Cauldron in his body, the tiny figure appeared once more. This time, instead of beginning with fist practice, it sat and discussed the Dao, wearing an expression of bitter contemplation.
You had just entered the path of shamanic medicine, yet your heart was higher than the heavens. You chose a second-tier shamanic physician's prescription to study, wishing to improve it. You buried your head in research for ten years and painstakingly developed an improved prescription of your own.
When the tribespeople used it, they all died, their deaths miserable. Like being steamed in boiling water, fragrance wafted out, too horrible to behold.
Thirteen years later, you improved another prescription. When the tribespeople used it, they died without whole corpses.
Another fifteen years later, you, driven mad, took your self-written prescription and died.
Before you continue