Metamorphosis

The black cauldron vibrated, emitting waves of precious light. Little One and his companion had been sealed inside for over an hour. The lid was jarred open from time to time, splashing out golden liquid, its rich fragrance intoxicating. Vaguely, a golden Suanni seemed to be trying to charge out, roaring incessantly. The sound was so realistic that it made the scalps of everyone in Stone Village tingle.

It was not large, only about a foot long, struggling fiercely against the lid. Its entire body was golden and dazzling, and from time to time, it hissed at Little One.

The lid shook violently, a sight that made the onlookers tremble with fear. The villagers wanted to step forward several times to seal it tight, but the old village chief stopped them. This was the Medicine Soul within the cauldron, the very essence of the brew; it had to be refined in this manner, and no interference was allowed.

The fragrance grew thicker. The heavy black cauldron continuously shed divine radiance, which surged out from the gaps in the lid. Little One floated up and down inside, eyes closed, undergoing the baptism.

"Clang," "Clang"...

The foot-long golden Suanni struggled even more violently. Its body burned like a deity, charging left and right, slamming against the black cauldron.

The crowd turned pale. Even Shi Yunfeng was tense, his eyes wide as he closely monitored the Medicine Soul—the divine fragment inherited from the Primordial Suanni Ancestor Emperor.

"This doesn't look good. What if it breaks out? Does the chief really mean for us not to intervene?" Shi Feijiao asked.

Shi Yunfeng wore a grave expression. "The medicine cauldron is sealed. If we move it rashly, the medicinal essence might explode and dissipate into the heavens and earth."

"Oh, no! It's starting to attack Little One!" Er Meng, one of the children, cried out.

Everyone's heart tightened. The divine Suanni's radiance became even more dazzling. It bared its fangs and brandished its claws, spitting clouds and mist, emitting thunderous sounds as it charged toward Little One.

"Don't be nervous. It is already dead; this is merely a divine fragment, lacking true consciousness," Shi Yunfeng said.

Little One sat with a solemn, Buddha-like expression, motionless. His flesh and blood were glowing. He was immersed in a strange state, oblivious to the outside world, as if isolated, tempering the divine radiance that enveloped him. He refined runes into his flesh and blood, melting them into rosy light and divine brilliance. Every drop of blood became a rune, a miniature eternal divine furnace, emitting boundless light to nourish his own body.

At this moment, his pores were wide open. Every drop of blood became a divine entity, inhaling and exhaling divine radiance, as if a deity sat enthroned within each one.

His body sprayed divine brilliance. Countless specks of light, dense and numerous, appeared as if infinite deities were chanting, reciting scriptures, and glowing, illuminating the blue sky.

The golden Suanni charged over, only to be guided by the countless specks of light. It was transformed into strands of radiance, purified by the specks, and melted into his body.

"What a mysterious phenomenon!" The villagers were stunned, but their tense nerves eased significantly.

"Awoo..."

The Suanni struggled, resisting even more violently. It veered away from Little One and slammed frantically against the black cauldron, emitting booming sounds that made people tremble, fearing the cauldron might suddenly shatter.

In the end, the golden Suanni grew increasingly ferocious, its impacts causing the black cauldron to roar and shake. Yet, at this moment, the cauldron itself underwent a change; the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts depicted on its surface seemed to become real, as if they were about to come to life.

"Could it be that the ancient artifact passed down in our tribe was originally a precious cauldron for refining medicine?" The village chief, Shi Yunfeng, was astonished. This was similar to the cauldrons of the great tribes.

The golden Suanni was furious, charging even more violently. However, the cauldron grew increasingly ancient and rustic, emitting a mysterious aura. The runes on the cauldron walls lit up one after another, as if burning spontaneously.

The roars of various fierce birds and beasts echoed out. Although faint, they were truly not hallucinations. At this time, the cauldron walls gradually became translucent, beginning to refine the golden liquid inside.

The Suanni trembled, its angry roar making people's eardrums ache. Though it was a divine phantom, its voice now echoed realistically through the village, inspiring awe. It made a final stand, standing upright and spitting lightning, as if it truly intended to pierce the cauldron wall. The black cauldron shook, and the ancient ancestors on its walls became increasingly vivid, even emitting sounds of ritual sacrifice, followed by the continuous chanting of scriptures.

"This ancestral artifact seems to be a truly extraordinary medicine cauldron!" The village chief, Shi Yunfeng, was shocked, never having imagined that this inconspicuous black cauldron used in daily life was so miraculous.

At the same time, the specks of light on Little One's body within the golden liquid multiplied. They were dense and numerous, appearing like swarms of deities emerging, sitting there chanting and resonating with the cauldron.

The Suanni grew fearful and trembled continuously before being dismantled. The black cauldron refined it into beams of golden divine light, which merged into the golden liquid within.

Nearby, Shi Lin was shrouded in black and red light mist. A small golden bull and a small black demon ape were beside him, struggling against him.

Shi Lin was drenched in sweat, clearly finding the resistance extremely difficult.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden light erupted from behind Shi Lin, enveloping the golden bull and the demon ape.

The agitated bull and ape suddenly calmed down. Shi Lin seized the opportunity to guide both into his own body, turning them into his own essence.

In an instant, the sound of chanting emanated from Shi Lin's abdomen. A small figure shrouded in white mist sat cross-legged before him. The figure was like a deity descended to the world, radiating divine brilliance. The severed arm of the demon ape and the horn of the Li Fire Bull Demon instantly turned into golden dots, circling Shi Lin before entering his body one by one.

Finally, everything calmed down. The lid fit perfectly, sealing the medicine cauldron, and the situation inside could no longer be seen from the outside.

"Good, the cauldron is finally sealed. If nothing goes wrong, Little One and Shi Lin will succeed!" Shi Yunfeng said, very excited.

"Chief, about how long will this take?" Shi Feijiao asked.

"It's hard to say. The duration of the baptism varies greatly, ranging from one day to three months," Shi Yunfeng frowned.

"What?" The crowd was stunned. No wonder the old village chief had them chop Black Flood Dragon Wood; he had insisted on preparing this specific firewood.

For a full day and night, the golden liquid boiled without drying up. Little One floated up and down inside, his body bright red, as if he were about to bleed. The golden liquid continuously entered his body through his pores, then brought out impurities, washing him repeatedly.

This was a terrifying process, extremely violent. How could an ordinary child endure it? They would be pained to death!

Red and black light intertwined, merged, separated, and merged again within Shi Lin's body, repeating endlessly.

Shi Lin's pores opened wide, and some impurities were expelled, settling at the bottom of the cauldron.

Little One gritted his teeth, remaining motionless, drawing the golden liquid to baptize his flesh. From the outside in, his whole body glowed. Although the pain was intense, he felt his spirit becoming increasingly full.

The divine radiance surged through him aggressively, nearly tearing his internal organs apart, but in the end, they were nourished and took on a crystalline luster. As for his bones, they were nearly shattered, but ultimately repaired, becoming denser, pearly white, and dazzling. Furthermore, not only was his flesh baptized, but the divine power also nourished his spirit.

In one full day and night, Little One underwent an unimaginable transformation!

Shi Lin's body also entered a miraculous state!

When morning came, Shi Hao opened his eyes and shouted, "Grandpa, the liquid is almost dry."

"It's done!" Shi Yunfeng was overjoyed and had someone lift the lid. They saw Little One's body was translucent, his pores spraying radiance. The villagers were amazed; they knew without asking that Little One had gained immense benefits.

Shi Lin opened his eyes as well.

Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from his body, directly knocking the lid away.

Little One immediately leaped over twenty meters high, charging into the sky.

"It's burnt, it's burnt!" He kept rubbing his bottom, his whole body pitch black, only his large eyes rolling around with great liveliness. The rest of him was like it had been smeared with charcoal, resembling a little monkey.

The old village chief laughed heartily. He knew it had succeeded; Little One's training was complete. After calming down slightly, he shouted, "Quick, remove the fire from under the tripod and add water immediately! Those remaining medicinal roots are still rare treasures!"

Little One landed on the ground, and Shi Lin also jumped out. A group of children swarmed them, pinching and poking them, all teasing them, while others brought clear water to help wash them off.

People were astonished to discover that he had shed a layer of old skin. After the charred black skin peeled away, it revealed a small, white, and crystalline body that shimmered with a precious glow.

Shi Lin, however, didn't change much, other than becoming fairer and taller.

"Wow, Little One, are you a silkworm? How did you shed such a thick layer of skin?" A group of children shouted and clamored. Several little girls also squeezed into the crowd, looking at his bright, lustrous body with envy.

Little One was deeply embarrassed and quickly snatched a piece of clothing to put on, which triggered a roar of laughter from the crowd.

"Child, let us see what kind of changes have occurred in you," one of the village elders said.

Shi Linhu and the others walked over with long strides, each extending their fan-like palms to grope him up and down. They all clicked their tongues in wonder, feeling as if they were touching a piece of warm jade.

"Good lad!" Shi Linhu slapped Shi Lin on the bottom.

"Dad~!" Shi Lin cried out in shame.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Little One's small face turned bright red. He had actually been flicked by someone; these adults still treated him like the baby he was when he was first born. He struggled hard, pushing with all his might, and nearly sent Shi Feijiao tumbling to the ground.

The group of adults burst into laughter, but Shi Feijiao was shocked, saying, "Don't laugh, this little thing's strength is truly astonishing!"

One must know that his own arms possessed a strength of five or six thousand jin, yet he had nearly been toppled by a child not even four years old. How could this not shake him?

"Come, Little One, come over and lift the tripod to test how strong your physical body is," the village chief Shi Yunfeng said.

"Okay!" Little One felt as if he had been granted an amnesty. He quickly escaped the group of boisterous, burly men who were poking and prodding him and ran to the side.

"Up!"

Little One lifted the thousand-jin bronze tripod and marched forward, then unexpectedly hoisted the five-thousand-jin black gold tripod. The entire Stone Village was petrified.

One must know that Little One had always been miraculous; being able to lift the thousand-jin bronze tripod was already astonishing enough. Now, he had lifted the five-thousand-jin black gold tripod in one go, leaving the group stunned and speechless.

"This is not his limit yet, again!" The village chief Shi Yunfeng trembled, showing just how excited he was.

"Boom!"

On the final lift, Little One hoisted the heaviest tripod in the village above his head. It was the eight-thousand-jin Hou Pattern Tripod, engraved with a terrifying fierce beast.

The group was completely shocked. At this age, with this kind of divine strength—it was unheard of!

"Come, child, you try it too!" Shi Yunfeng called out to Shi Lin, who was currently putting on his clothes.

"Alright, Grandpa Chief!" Shi Lin hurriedly finished dressing and came to Little One's side.

"Brother Lin, you try too!" Little One Shi Hao said.

"Okay!" Shi Lin lifted the Hou Pattern Tripod, exerted force, and hoisted it directly above his head.

"Impressive, Linzi!" The villagers praised him endlessly.

"Hehehe! It's nothing, it's nothing!" Shi Lin said modestly.

"When you two grow up, if you don't hunt back a real ancient fierce beast—a True Hou, which is a deity worshipped by the ancient ancestors—then you'll be letting me down!" Shi Linhu shouted.

The group of children also yelled and ran forward, pinching them up and down, only letting go after a long time.

Little One's body was white and crystalline, his divine radiance contained within. His long, soft, black hair draped over his shoulders, his large eyes were lively and spirited, and he was full of vitality.

Shi Lin was tall and upright, his long hair flowing with the wind. His features were full of heroism, and his face was of the most perfect, gentle kind. With long, thick eyelashes, dark and bright eyes, and a gentle, smiling expression, he possessed a charm that made people lose themselves. His hair was black and shiny, fluttering lightly, possessing a soft and elegant beauty.

The old village chief laughed heartily, his heart finally at ease. He pulled Shi Hao and Shi Lin to look them over, appearing as if he had suddenly become ten years younger, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out significantly.