Lifting the Cauldron

Time always slipped away unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed, and Little Dot was already three and a half years old. He had his own name now—Shi Hao. When he was just over a year old, he could only run after the bigger children. Now, at three and a half, his physique was astonishingly strong, and he often charged recklessly about alongside a group of older children.

At this moment, a clearing in Stone Village was packed tight with people. Men and women, young and old, had gathered to watch the youths practice martial arts.

The children were powerfully built, their upper bodies bare as sweat flew everywhere. They sparred in pairs, and some could even swing bronze hammers weighing over a hundred jin, the wind whistling from their blows.

They ranged from six or seven to twelve or thirteen years old. Every one of them was like a little vicious beast from the mountains and forests, possessed of boundless strength and astonishingly sturdy, robust bodies.

"Look, that's my boy! He's only six, yet he can use a bluestone weighing over a hundred jin as a shield. How many people can compare? He'll surely become an extraordinary hero of the Great Wilderness one day!"

"My boy is the impressive one! Look, he's drawn that rhinoceros-tendon bow, which only adults can pull open, to its full draw. One day, he'll surely shoot down powerful Hou with a single arrow and kill adult Pixiu!"

Though the villagers were simple and honest, once they gathered together, they loved boasting about how formidable their own children were. After comparing them, some burly men clenched their fan-sized hands into fists and kept swinging them, their faces alight with excitement.

The women of the village were smiling so broadly their mouths would not close. This group of children was truly outstanding, each brimming with the vigor of dragons and tigers, with strength to burn. Stone Village would surely grow strong because of them in the future.

"Moo..."

A wild bull's roar shook the village.

"Look! Er Meng is only eight and a half, yet he actually flipped a wild bull over by brute force! Incredible!"

In the field stood a huge bluish-black wild bull, its entire body glossy black like satin as it bellowed like muffled thunder. But the instant it went wild, a child who was not particularly tall forcibly threw it to the ground, drawing cries of amazement.

"All that effort wasn't wasted after all. Every so often, the village elders used true blood from vicious beasts and bone-mending medicinal brews to temper their bodies. It's had a tremendous effect."

"The children are all so strong. Perhaps a few true heroes will really emerge from among them in the future, driving those powerful primordial creatures deep in the mountains into headlong flight."

With a thunderous boom, a very skinny child in the distance hurled a stone millstone more than ten meters away.

"Well, well! Little Monkey is eight or nine now, isn't he? He looks so scrawny, yet he has such strength. You really can't judge a man by his appearance."

"Of course! Just look whose seed he is. I named him Shi Zhonghou. One day, he'll leave these mountains and become a marquis or king among the renowned, flourishing great tribes."

The grown men boasted to one another, each feeling his own child was extraordinary.

Rumble!

The ground shook violently, dust rose, and everyone's gaze was drawn over. The crowd stared in surprise. Someone was going to lift the cauldron!

At the center of the clearing stood a bronze cauldron weighing a full thousand jin. It was engraved with birds and beasts, steeped in ancient charm. Its walls were thick, giving it a heavy, imposing presence. Its legs had been grasped and lifted so often that they had been polished smooth as mirrors, with Vermilion Bird patterns branded upon them.

"Little Shi Jiao won't do. He nearly threw out his back just now and only managed to lift the cauldron off the ground. You're still too young; you won't be able to lift it for another four years," an adult teased.

A bronze cauldron weighing a thousand jin could not be handled carelessly, or one might injure oneself. Ordinary children could not possibly lift it, and they were normally not allowed near it. It was simply too heavy.

"I'll try!"

A very sturdy child stepped forward, around twelve or thirteen years old. He gripped one cauldron handle and one cauldron leg with both hands, then exerted himself fiercely. The great cauldron was shaken free of the ground, but immediately crashed back down with a boom, sending dust flying everywhere.

He had clearly failed, though fortunately the child was not injured.

"I'll do it too!"

Another child stepped forward. He was the one who had just forcibly thrown down a wild bull. His name was Shi Meng, second in his family and nicknamed Er Meng. He was indeed broad and sturdy, and was only eight and a half years old. With a buzz, the bronze cauldron left the ground and was gradually raised into the air, leaving everyone utterly shocked. He was still just a child, yet he had reached this point. It was truly astounding.

Boom!

Unfortunately, he could not raise it over his head. His arms were already trembling, and with a thunderous crash, he threw it away. It smashed a pit into the ground, dirt and sand spraying in all directions.

Once someone took the lead, the other children became eager to try. One after another, they stepped forward to shake the cauldron. Yet no one succeeded.

Not until a tall child with thick brows and large eyes stepped forward. His name was Shi Big Strong. He took a deep breath, gripped one cauldron handle and one cauldron leg, then lifted with all his might, swiftly raising it over his head.

Though his arms trembled slightly and his legs wavered somewhat, he had succeeded in the end. The adults marveled without end, for he was only nine years old. He could truly be called innately superhumanly strong!

"Dazhuang, well done! You'll surely be extraordinary in the future!"

"He's only nine! I'd say that within several thousand li, there aren't many among his peers who can match him. He'll surely become one of the strongest people in this region!"

The adults naturally did not hold back their praise. They also constantly encouraged and praised Er Meng, because he had nearly succeeded too. His strength was astonishing.

Several village elders smiled. The care they had poured in over the years had not been wasted. They often used true blood from vicious beasts to temper these children's bodies, and now the results were showing. Stone Village would surely produce some fierce figures in the future.

"Little Dot, why are you peeking around? Do you want to give it a try too?" an adult teased.

Among the crowd, a little fellow was looking around curiously. It was Little Dot, now named Shi Hao. He was so small that he could only stand on tiptoe and squeeze forward to see the bigger children lifting the cauldron.

"That's right. They say Little Hao has astonishing divine strength. Though he's a bit young, let him try too. Don't lift the cauldron first—start by grabbing the stone weights."

Someone nodded. "My boy says Little Hao isn't any weaker than them, but I never believed it. This is the perfect chance. Little Dot, give it a try."

Shi Hao was now three and a half years old. His jet-black hair hung to his shoulders, and his large eyes were dark, bright, and full of spirit. He was fair and clean, pretty and adorable.

Little Dot looked toward the village elders. They all smiled, and Shi Yunfeng said, "Go on. I also want to see just how strong you are now."

"Yah-hei!" Shi Hao was tiny, so the sound he made when exerting himself was naturally childish. Yet he easily lifted up a large stone roller.

"Truly not simple!" everyone said, nodding.

Then he grabbed a stone millstone and hurled it fiercely. With a whoosh, that heavy stone tool flew like an ordinary rock, sailing sixty or seventy meters away in an instant.

With a boom, the stone millstone crashed into the ground, leaving behind a huge pit. Sand and stones sprayed everywhere, dust surged skyward, and the ground shook violently.

The crowd stood dumbfounded, unable to say a word.

Next, Little Dot suddenly ran toward that bluish-black wild bull. He swiftly exerted his strength, seized one of its horns, and directly threw it to the ground.

Though he had used skill when exerting force, it was still enough to show just how astonishing his strength was. The sound of people sucking in cold breaths filled the scene. The villagers felt as if they were witnessing a little vicious beast display its might, the sight striking their eyes with tremendous force.

One had to know that little Shi Hao was still very young. He was the shortest among the crowd, and no matter how one looked at him, he resembled a white porcelain doll. It was difficult to connect him with such brute strength.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Shi Hao walked toward the great cauldron. Limited by his height, he could not grab its handles, so he crouched and supported its bottom instead. Then he exerted himself sharply. With a rumble, the bronze cauldron rose from the ground and was lifted over his head.

Everyone was utterly stunned, scarcely daring to believe what they were seeing. He was only three and a half years old, yet he could lift a cauldron weighing a thousand jin. It was simply too shocking.

What was this? He was like the child of a Golden-Winged Roc, or the descendant of a pure-blooded Pixiu King. Little Shi Hao rivaled a true primordial vicious beast cub!

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