The villagers grinned from ear to ear. This truly was an unexpected delight.
No one had expected the Willow Deity to suddenly manifest and speak with "Little Zhao," who had only just arrived in the village. Nothing like this had happened in decades.
Yet the Willow Deity said nothing more.
The wind swept over the charred tree, leaving only silence, as though everything just now had been an illusion.
The simple, honest villagers decided that Shi Zhao was the key to communicating with the Willow Deity and put her in charge of preparing the offerings afterward.
The corpses of more than a dozen powerful ferocious beasts lay piled together like a small mountain, enough to feed the villagers for a long time. They needed to be processed first to prevent them from spoiling.
With a short knife in hand, Shi Zhao deftly carved up the beast carcasses. Before long, she had sorted and prepared their blood essence, sinews, bones, and other parts rich in vital essence.
Even by her standards, the true blood of some of these Ancient Species was quite good. With further refinement, their flesh and blood could serve as precious medicines, suitable for cleansing young children and tempering their bodies.
"What quick bladework! What beautiful technique! She cut off the Dragon-Horned Elephant's horn with a single stroke, and split that Pixiu's belly open in one slash..." someone exclaimed.
Had the villagers processed these beasts themselves, it would have taken considerable time and effort.
A crowd of little rascals and older children gathered around Shi Zhao, exclaiming now and then, their eyes sparkling with stars. Their main contribution was enthusiastic encouragement.
"With this much game, we should salt some, smoke some, and make some into jerky. Then we can use those precious flesh-and-blood medicines to give the children cleansing medicinal baths," an experienced elder said.
Before long, the fragrance of meat filled Stone Village. Every household was stewing chunks of meat or roasting beast flesh, and everyone was struggling to hold back, their appetites thoroughly whetted.
At some point, even Shi Zhao had brought out a gleaming silver cauldron and lit a fire to stew beast meat, choosing only the parts richest in essence.
Her cooking was impeccable too. After all, her earlier travels and training had not been for nothing.
She also understood medicinal properties and had collected recipes from various regions. Every so often, she took seasonings and condiments from her little pouch, handling them with practiced ease.
On their journey here, she had already won A Man and Qingfeng over completely, and even Fourth Grandfather had been full of praise.
"Big Sister, this cauldron is so pretty." Little Shi's eyes shone.
"This is a precious cauldron the royal family used specifically for refining medicine. Outside the village, it would be worth a fortune, though the village's ancient cauldrons are no worse." Shi Zhao smiled, her gaze flicking toward a black cauldron nearby.
The cauldron in her hands was, of course, the Medicine Cauldron she had never returned to the royal family.
Stone Village had once enjoyed great glory as the Ancestral Land. After several upheavals, however, it had fallen into complete decline. Some of its surviving old possessions were pearls buried beneath dust, their true worth astonishing.
In a genuine comparison, her cauldron was actually far inferior. It merely looked more impressive.
The various ferocious beasts became the villagers' most sumptuous feast. Laughter rang out, and the entire village bustled with celebration, filled with cheerful voices.
Then the little rascals running everywhere were forcibly stuffed into large bronze cauldrons for cleansing medicinal baths. Every one of them wanted to escape, but none could.
"Though we are the Ancestral Land, our inheritance was severed long ago. Only a few ancient recipes remain of any use. I hope these children will achieve more than their fathers," the clan chief, Shi Yunfeng, said with a sigh.
"I once studied in the Stone Kingdom Imperial Family's Scripture Temple and learned some of those inherited teachings. Returning them to the Ancestral Land is only right." Shi Zhao smiled gently, then continued:
"Besides, you may not know this, but among the great ancient kingdoms of the Desolate Region, the Stone Kingdom's cultivation methods are extraordinary, yet not heaven-defying. What is truly priceless is the handful of Ancient Alchemy Recipes it possesses."
"Ancient Alchemy Recipes?" Shi Yunfeng looked startled.
"They are said to have mysterious origins. They can aid cultivation to the greatest possible extent and unlock the treasures within the human body. Unfortunately, the most important one was lost," Shi Zhao said.
With her explanation going this far, how could Shi Yunfeng fail to realize something? He drew a deep breath, unable to calm his heart, and hurriedly asked how many Ancient Alchemy Recipes there were in total.
"If none had been lost, there would be five." Shi Zhao held up one hand.
At that moment, Shi Yunfeng felt his blood suddenly race, his whole body burning hot. He was so excited that he wanted to throw back his head and howl, but ultimately held himself back.
In the past, he had often lamented the loss of the clan's inheritance. Their cultivation manuals and scriptures had vanished at some unknown point, leaving later generations unable to grow strong.
In the end, all the village had left were a few ancient cauldrons, some hard, indestructible relics, and five ancient recipes.
Only now did he realize that their most important, most priceless inheritance had never actually been lost. They had truly been sitting on a mountain of treasure without knowing it!
Such precious Ancient Alchemy Recipes had actually been treated as ordinary medicinal prescriptions...
"Child, did you come here for the Ancient Alchemy Recipes?" Shi Yunfeng could not help asking.
Shi Zhao shook her head. Those recipes were indeed precious. Not only could they temper one's latent potential and inner treasures, they could also allow a person to break through to the Venerable Realm swiftly.
She also knew perfectly well that, apart from the Willow Deity, the most valuable thing in Stone Village was its oldest Black Cauldron. The middle volume of the Primitive True Understanding was hidden inside it.
Of course, taking that now would do her no good.
She looked into the depths of the Great Wilderness, her eyes shining.
The inheritance left behind by the Supreme Hall-the so-called "Mountain Treasure" that several mighty ferocious creatures were fighting over deep in the Great Wilderness-was what she truly yearned to obtain.
The Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art and the Grass Character Sword Art!
If she missed this chance, where else could she stumble upon such a tremendous opportunity?
"Could you have come for the Mountain Treasure? Child, that is far too dangerous. There are unimaginably terrifying creatures deep in the Great Wilderness. That is not something you can fight over as you are now." The elderly Shi Yunfeng could not help trying to dissuade her.
"Don't worry. I won't lightly throw my life away." Shi Zhao turned back toward Little Shi, who had been placed alone in the Black Cauldron, and a smile appeared on her lovely face.
"I still want to watch that child grow up."
Shi Yunfeng gave her a long, searching look. This young girl's words and conduct were far beyond those of her peers, yet she was neither pretending to be profound nor cold and detached.
If someone like her did not die young, her future achievements would be unimaginable!
The medicinal baths lasted a long time. The children were soaked until they looked like red-skinned monkeys, each one thoroughly miserable. When they looked at one another, their eyes brimmed with tears.
Qingfeng was looked after too, receiving the same treatment as soon as he arrived. A Man, however, shook her head like a rattle drum and refused no matter what anyone said. She still could not quite let herself go.
Little Shi Hao did not cry. His large, dark eyes darted about. The Black Cauldron he was soaking in was filled almost entirely with various kinds of true blood, its medicinal potency immensely powerful. He was the only person in Stone Village who could withstand it.
The medicinal bath continued for a long time, only ending once night had fallen.
Shi Zhao stayed beside him throughout, then reached in and scooped him out. The little fellow's face was as rosy as a big apple, his innocent expression utterly endearing.
"Big Sister, I'm sleepy," he murmured.
"Then go to sleep," Shi Zhao said softly, holding the little fellow in her arms.
Before you continue