The Baptism

Over the following period, Shi Hao and Shi Lin progressed with astonishing speed. Every inch of flesh and blood within their bodies shimmered with a crystalline radiance, as if ancient deities were seated within them one after another. The Bone Text transformed and reorganized, fundamentally altering their physical states.

After half a month of cultivation, Shi Hao and Shi Lin were already able to integrate the Bone Text into their flesh and blood. Their bodies became translucent and immaculate; when they utilized the Precious Techniques, they no longer drained their own vitality. Instead, they began to refine the natural fortune of heaven and earth, drawing divine essence into their bodies to make themselves light, healthy, and full of spirit.

The Chief decided to use the Suanni Precious Body, the Precious Horn of the Li Fire Bull Demon, and the arm of the Demon Ape to perform a baptism for the two of them, sealing them inside the cauldron along with the true blood of Primordial Remnants and Treasure Bones to be stewed and refined.

The other children would naturally not be left behind. The Suanni was so massive that its essence blood was sufficiently abundant; every child would receive a rare and great fortune.

The setting sun hung in the western sky, its crimson glow illuminating the entire Great Wilderness and casting its light upon Shi Lin and Shi Hao.

The two were sitting cross-legged on two large rocks, meditating. The surrounding air was filled with swirling light and mist, making them appear as if immortals had descended into the mortal world, sacred and incomparable.

"Hoo!" Shi Lin lowered his hands to his knees. He opened his eyes, his blue pupils gradually returning to brown.

Shi Hao also ceased his cultivation.

"The Emperor Suanni Precious Technique has improved again!" Shi Lin said, clenching his fists in excitement.

"Indeed, I also feel that my strength has increased!" Shi Hao said happily.

Shi Yunfeng walked over slowly.

"Your paths are still very long. You are currently in the 'Blood-Moving' realm; you are still far from the point where you need to forge your own path forward. Among the true peak powerhouses of the human race, some will eventually give birth to holy bones, manifesting their own original imprints and possessing their own exclusive original Precious Techniques!"

"That is truly something to yearn for!" Little One said, clutching his small fists, his large eyes shining.

Shi Yunfeng said, "The path walked by the ancient ancestors is already very long, and the road ahead remains long. When you are strong enough, you can walk out of this Great Wilderness to take a look. There are some things I cannot teach you; they all lie in the outside world."

"Right, tomorrow, we will perform the baptism for you children! After the baptism, your path of cultivation will be even longer!"

"Understood, Grandfather Chief!" Shi Lin and Shi Hao said in unison.

Black Flood Dragon Wood is hard and heavy, comparable to refined iron. The tree trunk resembles a Chi Dragon, winding and vigorous, appearing pitch-black; even its leaves are like ink-colored jade. This is a strange wood, hard and heavy, which can be fashioned into weapons. At the same time, it has another unique property: when ignited, the fire burns intensely. Even a piece the size of a palm can boil two pots of meat. Ordinarily, it is the best source of fire for smelting ores and forging weapons.

"Hey, open for me!"

In an open space within Stone Village, Shi Linhu and a group of strong men were swinging giant axes, laboring to chop wood. An ordinary person could not even make a dent in this Black Flood Dragon Wood.

"Clack" sounds came from time to time, and occasionally, clanging sounds would erupt, sending out strings of sparks; the wood was truly too hard.

To prepare for Little One's baptism, the village had made various preparations: old medicinal herbs, poisonous insects, spring water, the ancient cauldron, and even the wood used to stew the true blood was the best Black Flood Dragon Wood.

On a large piece of jade, Little One was bathing. The villagers continuously rinsed his body with sweet mountain spring water, intending to seal his purest physical body into the cauldron.

Everyone was very solemn, and Little One was also very serious, silent and preparing in his heart.

The Suanni had already been brought over. Its entire body was golden, brilliant and dazzling. Its fur shone like golden silk, appearing even more magnificent and radiant under the glow of the morning sun.

The several-meter-long crimson bull horn also lay to the side, translucent like red agate and shimmering with red light. As a Primordial Remnant, it contained the most precious spiritual true blood of the Li Fire Bull.

The arm of the Demon Ape was similar in length to that of an adult human. It was not particularly massive, yet it emitted a monstrous, baleful aura and contained primordial true blood, making it extremely rare and precious.

A large black cauldron emitted an archaic aura. On it were depictions of the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, fish, and insects, as well as scenes of ancient ancestors performing sacrifices, appearing mysterious and unfathomable. At this time, a good amount of water had already been added to the cauldron, and the Black Flood Dragon Wood burned beneath it, causing the water to boil rapidly. This was to use the fiercest fire to stew the most tyrannical precious medicine.

The Chief had a solemn expression and stood personally before the cauldron, tossing in one ancient herb after another. They were all treasures that had aged for many years; guarding the Great Wilderness, they were not lacking in medicinal herbs.

Before long, various medicinal fragrances wafted from the boiling water, refreshing the heart and spirit, and the water changed color.

Subsequently, Shi Yunfeng brought over dozens of pottery jars, opening them one by one with great caution. From the first jar, a large purple centipede rushed out with a "shhh" sound; it was over half a meter long and very terrifying.

With a "pop," runes flickered on the Chief's fingertips. He held a small purple-gold hammer and tapped it lightly, cracking the centipede's skull before tossing it into the boiling water.

Next, the second pottery jar, wrapped in thick iron plating, was opened. Silver light flashed as a pangolin rushed out; it was only a foot long, entirely silver-white and gleaming. Its skull was likewise cracked, and it was tossed into the boiling water. After struggling violently, it eventually became silent, becoming one of the auxiliary medicines.

Dozens of pottery jars were opened. There were strange small beasts and poisonous insects, all very unique, such as golden little snakes the length of chopsticks and flying silver spiders.

This cauldron of water suddenly became multicolored, and all sorts of strange odors drifted out.

The faces of the group of children turned green on the spot. This was truly too terrifying; so many poisonous insects densely packed together, mixed with so many ancient medicines—no matter how one looked at it, it gave an ominous premonition. Fortunately, this cauldron was prepared for Little One, not for them to be stewed in.

As the water gradually boiled, the liquid in the cauldron decreased, eventually becoming nearly dry. The herbs and various strange insects were all stewed into a paste. This was the auxiliary medicine, which would alleviate Little One's pain and help him refine the true blood.

"Dismember the Suanni, prepare to pour the precious blood into the cauldron!" Shi Yunfeng shouted.

The Suanni's body was like cast gold, its radiance dazzling, like a fire burning. Even though it was dead, it still emitted an aura of supreme majesty. Its fur was incomparably tough; ordinary iron axes could not cut it at all, only producing strings of sparks and clanging sounds, just like striking iron.

Fortunately, when the old Suanni's lifespan reached its end, it had fought a final battle and attempted to self-destruct. Although it did not succeed, its body was already covered in cracks, with streaks of blood visible within the golden divine radiance.

The villagers followed these cracked wounds, swinging their cleaned giant axes, and struggled to split it open.

Everyone was shocked. Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao possessed the divine strength of five or six thousand jin in their arms, which was already considered extremely powerful and rare in this wilderness. Yet, at this moment, they were panting and drenched in sweat, exhausted just from hacking along the already split flesh.

This showed just how tough the Suanni Precious Body was—it exceeded everyone's imagination!

When it was finally split open, several elders personally took action to extract the precious blood. The true blood actually contained portions of golden liquid, so brilliant it dazzled the eyes.

This was where its value lay; it was the divine power of the Primordial Remnant Suanni. The small amount of golden blood hidden within the blood was priceless, enough to make even large tribes turn green with envy!

Although the Suanni was dead, its blood did not coagulate, making it easy to handle. They used silver vessels to collect the true blood, and the ground was soon covered with large, gleaming silver jars, all of which were eventually filled.

The Chief took personal action, wielding a jade knife covered in runes. It unleashed hundreds and thousands of rays of light as he dug out the most precious heart. It was the size of a washbasin, pale gold in color, and contained incomparably powerful divinity. As it was moved, it actually shed sheets of golden light rain.

The old Chief did not dare to delay and placed this precious heart directly into the large black cauldron, fearing the waste of the Suanni's divine radiance. At the same time, he shouted, "Pour in the precious blood!"

Several strong men brought over the massive silver vessels and poured them into the black cauldron with a "gurgle, gurgle" sound, replacing the spring water. Using the precious blood as the base, it mixed with the medicinal paste.

The fire from the Black Flood Dragon Wood beneath the cauldron burned intensely, causing the ancestral cauldron to roar. The various primordial beasts on the cauldron's walls seemed to come to life, as if emitting bursts of roars. Inside the cauldron, the pale golden liquid boiled, and that precious heart became even more dazzlingly radiant. Golden light rain erupted, making the entire cauldron brilliant, and the liquid inside transformed into golden light as a particularly rich fragrance wafted out.

This was the Primordial Remnant Suanni; its body was a treasure!

"Bring it to a boil and brew it into a potent medicine. Little One, get ready; it is almost time to enter the cauldron," Chief Shi Yunfeng said solemnly.

"Understood!" Shi Hao replied loudly.

"Shi Lin, you join him as well!"

"Alright!" Shi Lin answered.

The raging fire boiled the medicine, the flames fierce and the fragrance rich. Inside the cauldron was a pale golden liquid, from which the roars of Primordial Remnants echoed from time to time, chilling the soul.

Vaguely, one could see the manifestation of a golden Suanni, monstrous and heaven-shaking, swallowing the sun and moon, causing the very stars to tremble.

The crowd was horrified, all of them gasping for air, many unable to stop themselves from trembling.

"This is a fragment of the imprint left behind by the ancestral Suanni of the primordial era within its pale golden blood, serving as the source of divinity for this Remnant," a clan elder sighed after steadying his mind.

That was not all; the clansmen pulled out several tendons and cast them into the cauldron, and extracted a significant amount of pale golden marrow from the Treasure Bone, adding it to the black cauldron as well, making the medicine even more brilliant and fragrant.

"Little One, quickly enter the cauldron. Shi Lin, you as well. It is time for the baptism."

"Grandpa Chief, I have been ready for a long time!"

After bathing, Little One's entire body was crystalline, with Bone Text flickering; he looked beautiful and adorable. He leaped, plunging into the boiling cauldron, and the radiant golden liquid instantly submerged him.

Shi Lin followed him inside immediately after.

"Seal the cauldron!" Shi Yunfeng shouted. The villagers brought over the massive, pitch-black lid, and several of them worked together to cover it, sealing it tight.

The other children were all dizzy, their faces pale. Just like that, it was sealed shut; could he withstand such boiling water, and how would he breathe?

The old chief glanced at them and said, "Once you refine Bone Text into every inch of your flesh and blood, transforming it into rosy light and divine radiance, you will no longer need to worry about such things. You will be able to draw upon the divine essence of heaven and earth to nourish yourselves, and at that time, you will be able to enter water and fire, and go without breathing for long periods."

The glowing Precious Horn and the arm of the Demon Ape King were also tossed in. Shi Yunfeng had originally been worried that Little One might not be able to endure it, as he was still so young, but with Shi Lin entering as well, he was no longer afraid; if Shi Hao could not bear it, he would let Shi Lin absorb the excess.