The true blood baptism in Stone Village proceeded swiftly. The eight large bronze cauldrons, filled with simmering true blood from the ancient species, saw a new youth tossed in every half hour.
Each time a new boy or girl was submerged, another half-ladle of true blood was added. Unlike the boys, who were thrown in bare, the girls wore beast-hide skirts and chest wraps.
But one thing was universal: whether male or female, the moment they hit the cauldron, they screamed in agony, flailing their small arms and legs, desperately trying to climb out—only to be pushed back in by their parents.
The scene was almost too cruel to watch, but it underscored a truth: people like Shi Hao, who could find joy in suffering, were rare. Most couldn't endure such pain.
Enduring hardship often came down to habituation. Those accustomed to suffering could bear it, but suffering itself was no virtue to be glorified. It was simply suffering. Many endured a lifetime of hardship with no reward.
Suffering could temper the will and forge a Dao heart, true, but life offered countless paths. There was no need to force oneself down a road of misery.
At least, that's how Shi Yi saw it.
And in his view, who could outdo the farmers, toiling with their faces to the earth and backs to the sky, when it came to enduring hardship?
So why did the Martial King Manor abandon me in Stone Village to suffer?
Three years without so much as a glance?
Have they forgotten me entirely?
Shi Yi's resentment had no outlet, so he turned to Liu Shen for daily chats. Though she'd made her stance clear, he wasn't one to care about saving face.
Shamelessness makes one invincible.
Look at the world: those who cling to pride live burdened lives, while the shameless thrive with ease.
Take an example from Shi Yi's knowledge of the blue planet, specifically the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese civilization. He'd realized one thing: if Liu Bei had even half the shamelessness of his ancestor Liu Bang, the Han dynasty might have truly risen thrice.
Who cares about being a gentleman?
Centuries later, they'd call you a hypocrite, claiming it was all an act.
So, Shi Yi didn't care much for pride. The world judged based on results, not intentions.
As long as you were strong enough, no matter how shameless you were, others would bow and scrape before you.
"Liu Shen, what do you think about me teaching Stone Village some of the Martial King Manor's cultivation techniques?" Shi Yi asked in a low voice.
"Their current techniques are too crude and simplistic. In all these years, not one has reached the Heavenly Passage Realm. They can't cultivate the Original True Solution. If you pass on your techniques, it would be for the best," Liu Shen's voice echoed in his mind.
Though she believed Shi Yi's unsteady Dao heart would hinder him from reaching the pinnacle, it didn't stop her from finding him intriguing.
The Dao was boundless, and even she couldn't claim her path was the only truth. Perhaps someone like Shi Yi, with his wavering resolve, could challenge her understanding.
"Liu Shen, you're so powerful—why not teach them some cultivation techniques yourself?" Shi Yi asked, curiosity piqued.
"The offerings they provide hold no value to me. Their sole worthy contribution is their sincere devotion, which is just enough for me to protect Stone Village," Liu Shen replied succinctly.
As she said, she owed Stone Village nothing. She was merely residing here temporarily. The offerings the village provided were beneath her notice; only their genuine faith had prompted her to shield them for so many years.
But no banquet lasts forever.
She wouldn't stay in Stone Village forever.
Shi Yi wasn't joking or speaking idly.
The next day, he began teaching Stone Village's youths the Martial King Manor's cultivation techniques. Using his Heavy Pupils, he also replicated the treasure techniques of a king-level Demon Ape and the Fire Demon Bull for them.
His Heavy Pupils flared, shaking the void. The treasure bone in the Demon Ape's brow and the one on the Fire Demon Bull's back had their runes forcibly activated by the power of his Heavy Pupils.
Once the runes materialized, Patriarch Shi Yunfeng and several village elders hurriedly transcribed them with ink and brush, so the village's youths could study them.
But this act deepened the elders' sense of guilt. Shi Yi had done so much for Stone Village, yet the village had offered little in return.
That afternoon, Patriarch Shi Yunfeng summoned Shi Yi, accompanied by several village elders who held significant sway in Stone Village.
"Shi Yi, Stone Village doesn't have much to offer. Besides two ancestral artifacts, we have little of value to give," Shi Yunfeng said, retrieving a beast bone and a piece of beast hide from a faded wooden box.
The beast bone was an arm bone, and the hide was old, stained with blood. Both emitted a terrifying aura.
To those with keen insight, these ancestral artifacts, as Shi Yunfeng called them, would be recognized as rare treasures even in the Upper Realm.
If their full power were unleashed, slaying gods wouldn't be impossible. These were Stone Village's true foundation.
By presenting these artifacts to Shi Yi, Shi Yunfeng was treating him not just as one of their own but as family.
"Patriarch, the rune-covered bone fragment you gave me is already the greatest gift," Shi Yi said helplessly.
What's the big deal?
Just two ancestral artifacts?
Does he think the Martial King Manor lacks its own treasures? My mother's Rain Clan has the Rain God's Decree!
Unbeknownst to Shi Yi, the beast bone and hide far surpassed the Martial King Manor's treasures and even the Rain Clan's Rain God's Decree. These were true village-guarding artifacts capable of slaying gods.
"That rune-covered bone fragment fell from the heavens with Liu Shen. We aren't even worthy to look at it. The runes on it—if you stare for more than three seconds, you'll cough blood. In severe cases, it could kill you," an elderly villager with white hair said.
"Old Stone's right. It belongs to Liu Shen. I was merely its keeper. Shi Yi, you've done so much for Stone Village. Let us elders express our gratitude. This is our heartfelt gesture," Shi Yunfeng said earnestly.
Stone Village repaid grudges and remembered kindness. Thanks to Shi Yi, the village was thriving, moving toward becoming a great tribe. The elders, including Shi Yunfeng, saw Shi Yi as their cornerstone and wanted to entrust the two ancestral artifacts to him.
"Patriarch, there's really no need. If you insist on giving me something, how about that black cauldron in your house? I need a good pot for stewing beasts," Shi Yi said.
The iron pot he'd used the night before had given out, just like the stone knife that had served him for years.
The pot hadn't shattered from force but had simply worn out from overuse. Its base had cracked beyond repair.
This was a glimpse into the hardships Shi Yi endured—he didn't even have a decent pot, making do with a battered one for three years.
"The black cauldron is yours, but you must take these ancestral artifacts too, Shi Yi. You say we shouldn't treat you as an outsider, so don't treat us grandpas as outsiders either," Shi Yunfeng insisted, shoving the beast bone and hide into Shi Yi's arms. He also arranged for the long-unused black cauldron to be delivered to Shi Yi's house.
And so, a bewildered Shi Yi returned home, equally bewildered.
But when he examined the beast bone and hide with his Heavy Pupils…
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