Who Cares?

Stone Village's True Blood Baptism with Ancient Descendants proceeded quickly. With the true blood of eight Ancient Descendants boiling in the Great Bronze Cauldron, a new young boy or girl was tossed into the cauldron roughly every half hour.

Whenever a new boy or girl was switched in, another half ladle of Ancient Descendant true blood had to be added. Unlike the boys, who were thrown in stark naked, the girls still wore Beast Hide skirts and Beast Hide chest wraps.

The only thing they had in common was that, regardless of gender, the moment they entered the Great Bronze Cauldron, they were scalded until they wailed and screamed for their parents, their little arms and legs frantically scrambling to climb out—only to be shoved back in by their parents.

The sight was unbearable, but it also showed from another angle that people like Shi Hao, who could find joy amid suffering, were truly rare. Most people simply could not endure much hardship.

Being able to endure hardship was nothing more than becoming used to it. Once one became accustomed to suffering, suffering was still not worth praising. Suffering was suffering, and many people suffered their entire lives without receiving anything in return.

Hardship could indeed temper one's will and forge one's Dao heart, but there were countless paths in life. There was no need to force oneself down a road of suffering.

At least, that was what Shi Yi thought.

And in his view—

When it came to enduring hardship, who could compare to farmers who faced the soil with their backs to the sky?

So—

He deeply hated those people from Martial King Manor who had thrown him into Stone Village to suffer!

Had they really not come to see him even once in three years?

Or had they simply forgotten about him?

The resentment in Shi Yi's heart had nowhere to go, so he could only chat with the Willow Deity every day. Though she had made herself very clear, he was not someone who cared about saving face.

A shameless man was invincible beneath the heavens.

Just look.

How exhausting was life for people who cared about face? Those who did not lived far more comfortably.

Take Shi Yi's past life on Azure Blue Planet, for example. When he read the history of Huaxia's Three Kingdoms era, he came to understand something: if Liu Bei had possessed even half the shamelessness of his ancestor Liu Bang, perhaps the Han Dynasty truly would have risen three times.

Upright gentlemen—who cared?

A thousand years later—

People would call you a hypocrite and say it had all been an act anyway.

Therefore—

Shi Yi truly did not care much about things like pride. What the world looked at was achievement, only the final result.

As long as you were strong enough, no matter how shameless you were, others would still have to bow and scrape before you, submitting to your rule.

"Willow Deity, what do you think about me passing some of Martial King Manor's cultivation methods on to Stone Village?" Shi Yi asked softly.

"Their cultivation methods are far too simplistic and crude. Not one of them has reached the Celestial Passage Realm in all these years. They cannot cultivate the Original True Understanding. If you can pass on cultivation methods to them, that would naturally be best."

The Willow Deity's voice resounded in Shi Yi's mind. Although she believed that Shi Yi, whose Dao heart lacked resolve, would find it difficult to reach the pinnacle in the future, that did not stop her from finding him interesting.

The Great Dao had no bounds. Even she did not dare claim that the path she upheld was necessarily right. Perhaps someone with an unsteady Dao heart like Shi Yi could shatter her understanding.

"Willow Deity, you're so powerful. Why don't you teach them some cultivation methods they can use?" Shi Yi asked curiously.

"The offerings they present to me hold no meaning. The only thing of any worth is their sincere devotion, and even that is only enough for me to protect Stone Village." The Willow Deity's answer was concise and clear.

Just as she said.

She owed Stone Village nothing. She was merely staying there for the time being. She had no interest whatsoever in the offerings Stone Village usually gave her. Only that sincere devotion had led her to protect the old and young of Stone Village for so many years.

But all feasts must come to an end.

She could not remain in Stone Village forever.

Shi Yi was not joking, nor had he said it casually.

The very next day, he taught Martial King Manor's cultivation methods to Stone Village's young boys and girls. At the same time, he used his Double Pupils to reproduce the Treasure Techniques of the King-level Demon Ape and the Li Fire Bull Demon for them.

The Double Pupils manifested, and the void trembled. The treasure bone between the King-level Demon Ape's brows and the treasure bone on the Li Fire Bull Demon's back had their runes forcibly activated by the power of the Double Pupils.

Once the runes appeared, Stone Village's Old Clan Leader, Shi Yunfeng, and several elders hurriedly copied them down with brush and ink so that the village's young boys and girls could study them.

Yet because of this—

Several Stone Village elders, including Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng, felt increasingly ashamed. Shi Yi had always been helping Stone Village, while Stone Village had never helped him with anything.

Thus—

That afternoon, Shi Yi was invited over by Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng. Several Stone Village elders accompanied him, all of them figures of considerable standing within the village.

"Shi Yi, our Stone Village has nothing good to offer. Aside from these two Ancestral Artifacts, we have nothing else worthy of giving you."

As Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng spoke, he took out a Beast Bone and a Beast Hide from a yellowed wooden box.

The Beast Bone was an arm bone, while the Beast Hide was old and mottled with bloodstains. Yet both emitted an incomparably terrifying aura.

If someone knowledgeable had been present, they would have discovered that these two Ancestral Artifacts mentioned by Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng—the Beast Bone and Beast Hide—were rare supreme treasures even in the Upper Realm.

If someone could completely unleash the power of these two Ancestral Artifacts, even slaying gods would not be impossible. This showed that they were Stone Village's true foundation.

Now that Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng was willing to reveal these two Ancestral Artifacts before Shi Yi, it meant that he had fundamentally already regarded Shi Yi as one of Stone Village—as family.

"Old Clan Leader, the Runic Bone Fragment you gave me was already the best gift." Shi Yi said helplessly.

What had he thought this was about?

Wasn't it just two Ancestral Artifacts?

Did they think Martial King Manor had no foundation of its own?

The Rain Clan, where his mother came from, even had the Rain God Decree!

What Shi Yi did not know was that this Beast Bone and Beast Hide were far more powerful than Martial King Manor's foundation, and vastly stronger than the Rain Clan's Rain God Decree. They were two true village-protecting Ancestral Artifacts capable of slaying gods.

"That Runic Bone Fragment fell from the sky alongside the Willow Deity. We were not even qualified to look at it. If anyone stared at the runes on it for more than three seconds, they would vomit blood. In serious cases, they might even die," an elderly Stone Village elder with snow-white hair said.

"Old Stone is right. It should belong to the Willow Deity. I am merely keeping it on her behalf. Shi Yi, you have done so much for Stone Village. We old men must be allowed to express our gratitude as well. This is a token of our sincerity." Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng's tone was earnest.

Stone Village repaid grievances without fail, and naturally would not forget kindness either. With Shi Yi's help, Stone Village was now flourishing, advancing toward becoming a Tribal Clan.

Everyone in Stone Village, including Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng, had already come to regard Shi Yi as their pillar. Naturally, they wanted to entrust Stone Village's two Ancestral Artifacts to him for safekeeping.

"Old Clan Leader... there's really no need. If you truly insist on giving me something, then why not give me the Black Cauldron in your house? I happen to need a good cauldron specifically for stewing fierce beasts."

The iron pot Shi Yi had used the night before last had already met its end, much like the stone knife that had accompanied him for years.

The iron pot had not been forcibly shattered. It had simply been used for too long and too frequently; its lifespan had run out. The bottom had cracked apart, and it could no longer be repaired.

This showed just how miserable Shi Yi's life had been. He did not even have a better pot. That battered old iron pot had been used relentlessly for three whole years.

"You can have the Black Cauldron, but you must also accept these two Ancestral Artifacts, Shi Yi. You told us not to treat you as an outsider, so you must not treat us old men as outsiders either."

Without giving him any chance to refuse, Old Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng directly stuffed the Beast Bone and Beast Hide into Shi Yi's arms. He also arranged for someone to deliver the Black Cauldron, which had not been used in a long time, to Shi Yi's house.

After that—

A thoroughly bewildered Shi Yi returned home in a daze. But when he carefully examined the Beast Bone and Beast Hide with his Double Pupils—