Baptism

In this Gods and Demons World, where the weak were prey to the strong, such things could not have been more normal. There was nothing remarkable about them.

The two climbed the steps and entered the Medicine Refining Hall. The two gold-spotted spiders standing guard turned a blind eye to them, allowing them inside.

Within the hall, the medicinal fragrance and bloody odor grew stronger. Faintly, they could even hear the roars and howls of ancient beasts.

Shi Ziteng had visited this place more than once and knew its layout well. Leading Shi Yi, he headed straight into its deepest reaches.

At the end of the passage stood a secluded chamber, a place specially prepared for pureblood descendants to establish their foundations. Given Shi Yi's talent, his baptism would certainly take place there.

By the time father and son stepped through the chamber's entrance, Old Golden Spider and Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider had already been waiting for some time.

The chamber was enormous. More precisely, it resembled a vast square, empty and shrouded in chaotic mist, its boundaries nowhere to be seen.

Old Golden Spider stood out the most, radiating golden light from its entire body. It looked as though it had been cast from gold, gleaming amid the chaotic mist.

Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider was also conspicuous. One spider shone brilliantly, while the other was dark jade-green, forming a stark contrast.

Before the two great Venerable Realm spiders, a towering medicinal furnace already stood. Even before they approached, an aura of the primordial wilderness swept toward them, conveying a sense of immense weight and grandeur.

The furnace's surface was covered in grooves and patterns, steeped in the passage of time. Clearly, it was an extraordinary ancient artifact.

Naturally, a furnace placed in this chamber to perform baptisms for pureblood spiders could be no ordinary medicinal furnace.

"Zi Teng, you're here."

Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider smiled and greeted Shi Ziteng and Shi Yi.

Then Shi Ziteng and Shi Yi paid their respects to the two great Venerables together.

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries and begin the baptism," Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider said.

"Before the baptism, this old one must offer a reminder. One of its principal ingredients is a drop of Heavenly God Blood left behind by our Demon Spirit Lake's progenitor in the Ancient Era. Though the passage of ages has long since robbed it of its peak potency, the essence it contains still far surpasses that of Divine Spirit Blood.

"With such an immense amount of essence, never mind Yi'er, a mere Blood Moving Realm being-even a King Marquis ruling a territory or a Venerable presiding over a region might be burst apart by the Heavenly God Blood.

"So, Yi'er, to withstand a baptism of this magnitude, you must draw upon your two supreme innate gifts: your double pupils and Supreme Bone."

"Thank you for the warning, Patriarch. I understand," Shi Yi said, nodding and thanking Old Golden Spider.

At the same time, he was secretly astonished. Heavenly God Blood might not be considered particularly heaven-defying in the Upper Realm, but in the lower realm's Eight Regions, it was nothing short of a heaven-defying divine treasure.

After all, in this age, even igniting a divine flame in this world was a distant dream, let alone ascending to become a Heavenly God.

"Good, as long as you understand."

Old Golden Spider nodded lightly.

With that, it exchanged a glance with Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider, and both nodded.

Then the two Venerables began refining the medicine, tossing ingredients into the ancient furnace.

Aged medicinal plants were thrown into the furnace one after another, a riot of colors and rich fragrances. Every single one was a potent herb beyond the imagination of a King Marquis-level power such as the Martial King Manor, grown in forbidden lands rarely touched by human footsteps, where only beings from the Primordial Divine Mountains could venture.

Alongside the ancient medicinal plants, numerous ancient materials and rare treasures were also tossed into the furnace.

The two spiders kept adding herbs, interspersed with unidentified powders and the blood of certain special races.

Once the ancient herbs and materials inside the furnace had piled into a small mountain, Old Golden Spider brought over the ancient firewood prepared beforehand and placed it beneath the furnace. Then it opened its mouth and spat golden flames, setting the wood alight.

Boom...

Following that rumble, a strange golden blood-flame rose beneath the Medicine Cauldron, blazing fiercely and releasing terrifying heat as it scorched the furnace.

The baptism had officially begun. Although the ingredients inside the furnace had already piled into a small mountain, this was actually only the beginning.

The two great spiders swung all their legs-more than twenty between them-constantly adding medicinal ingredients to the furnace in a dizzying flurry.

By now, Shi Ziteng was shocked beyond measure, utterly speechless.

He had truly never expected Demon Spirit Lake's two ancestors to be so generous that they would even bring out Heavenly God Blood.

What was a Heavenly God? Beyond the Divine Flame stage came True God, and only beyond True God came Heavenly God.

How precious was the blood of a being at that level? It could rightly be called one of Demon Spirit Lake's clan-protecting reserves. Yet now, Old Golden Spider had actually brought it out to use in Shi Yi's baptism at five years of age. It was simply inconceivable.

Furthermore, those incomparably precious ancient herbs were being tossed into the furnace as though they were worthless. The sight left him dumbstruck, and he could not help swallowing.

In the end, Shi Ziteng could only marvel. Demon Spirit Lake truly lived up to its standing as a Primordial Divine Mountain-it possessed staggering wealth.

Gurgle, gurgle!

Under the scorching golden blood-flame, the temperature inside the furnace climbed steadily. The various kinds of beast blood began boiling, gradually engulfing the ancient herbs and dissolving their medicinal properties into the liquid.

Soon, an indescribable medicinal fragrance washed over them. A single breath made them feel as though they might shed their mortal forms and ascend.

"That should do. Add the Sacred Medicine first."

Old Golden Spider spoke.

Nearly all the supporting ingredients had been added. Next came the two principal ingredients, both of which were in Old Golden Spider's possession.

Old Golden Spider took out a sealed jade box. After dissolving the sealing symbols, it lifted the lid by hand. Instantly, holy silver light shot from the opening, flooding the entire chamber.

The aura and delicate fragrance unique to Sacred Medicine also spread into every corner of the chamber.

"Sacred Medicine!"

Shi Ziteng's breathing quickened. That was Sacred Medicine, a supreme treasure that even King Marquises could not obtain despite longing for a single plant. Now, it had become one of the principal ingredients in Shi Yi's baptism at five years of age.

When Demon Spirit Lake's Sacred Medicine sank into the liquid inside the furnace, an astonishing storm of vital essence erupted instantly. The entire furnace shook violently, as though it might fall apart in the next moment.

Boom!

The furnace activated, resonating with the Sacred Medicine. Patterns across its surface lit up, spilling forth surging torrents of chaotic energy. Dimly, an unending chorus of beast roars seemed to issue from within.

"This furnace is called the Ten Thousand Beasts Furnace. It has performed baptisms and established foundations for more than ten thousand pureblood beings. Over time, it developed extraordinary spirituality. Once activated, it can mobilize the lingering blood energy of those myriad beasts within, raising the medicinal potency of an entire furnaceful of potent medicine to another level.

"But activating it comes at a considerable cost. At the very least, it requires Sacred Medicine," Azure Demon Black-Eyed Spider explained.

As it spoke, Old Golden Spider took out a clay jar secured with sealing strips. It peeled away every strip, then carefully opened the lid.

The next instant, a towering surge of blood energy gushed out, bearing unparalleled pressure and filling the chamber in a heartbeat.