After returning from Stone Mountain, Jiang Xuan solemnly carved the Vine Tribe's totem pattern onto a huge stone in front of his bamboo house and found some colored stones, which he crushed and mixed with water to make paint, coloring the totem pattern.
Although the totem pattern looked a bit like children's graffiti due to his limited drawing skills, Jiang Xuan didn't care much.
Totem patterns are the symbols of a tribe; as long as the tribe develops strong enough, no matter how ugly its totem pattern is, no one will dare to underestimate it.
For example, people from large tribes only need to paint their tribe's totem pattern on their faces or belongings, and when they are outside, other tribes won't dare to provoke them easily.
After finishing the totem pattern, Jiang Xuan began preparing for the first sacrificial ceremony.
As a newly established tribe, the first sacrificial ceremony is extremely important, even if there are only five of them; the ceremony must be conducted properly.
Because Jiang Xuan knew very well that through a series of rituals like building altars, performing sacrifices, and painting totem patterns, the tribe's recognition and cohesion could be enhanced.
Although the Vine Tribe currently has only five members, Jiang Xuan would still complete the entire ritual.
He led Chi Shao and others to build a round altar with yellow mud at the foot of Stone Mountain, with a stairway in front of the altar.
The altar's base had a diameter of about two meters, a height of about one meter, and the top had a diameter of about one and a half meters, very small and very simple.
But Jiang Xuan still seriously carved the Vine Tribe's totem pattern around the altar, including the top.
With the totem pattern, the altar felt a bit more sacred.
Afterward, they started hunting in the woods and fishing in the streams to prepare offerings for the sacrifice.
Three days later, the weather became increasingly warmer, the wild grass on the ground began to grow, and the foliage in the mountains began to bud.
Even the Ancient Vine had many new buds on its branches, looking vibrant and lively.
The first year of the Vine Tribe's establishment, January 15th.
The first sacrificial ceremony officially began.
The yellow mud altar had dried, Jiang Xuan and the other four carried the offerings up the stairs to the altar and arranged them.
The offerings were a wild goat, a wild chicken, and a large fish weighing over twenty pounds, all alive and tied with rope.
All five had taken baths in advance, wore their best beast-hide clothing, and painted the Vine Tribe's totem pattern on their faces, looking rather decent.
The sacrificial ceremony typically requires a Witch to preside, it is said that only a Witch can communicate with the Totem God and recite those ancient blessings.
But the Vine Tribe only had five people in total, and there was no Witch's legacy, so Jiang Xuan had to improvise.
Jiang Xuan recalled the Deer Tribe's sacrificial ceremony, then took a very sharp stone knife and bled the wild goat, wild chicken, and fish on the altar.
Blood flowed onto the new yellow mud altar, soaking part of the totem pattern.
Jiang Xuan stepped down from the altar, put away the stone knife, and since he couldn't recite blessings, he could only say plain words.
Facing the Ancient Vine, Jiang Xuan thought for a while and began to say words of blessing:
"After the Vine God enjoys the offerings, bless the Vine Tribe with flourishing livestock and abundant grain, and keep the tribespeople safe…"
Chi Shao and the three young men were stunned, as many words Jiang Xuan said were ones they'd never heard before.
Coupled with the fact they were in the middle of a sacrificial ceremony, they instinctively believed the Vine God had manifested, thus bowed even more devoutly.
"Shriek!"
Just then, a piercing bird call rang out above the bamboo grove, startling the birds and beasts into hiding.
Jiang Xuan looked up to see a huge fierce bird with glossy black feathers flying towards them, seemingly targeting the offerings on the altar.
"Oh no!"
Jiang Xuan shouted in shock and instinctively wanted to run, as the bird was so large it appeared like a dark cloud, intimidating all who saw it.
It was definitely not a fierce bird they could fend off.
"Hum"
At that moment, Stone Mountain suddenly trembled slightly.
The Ancient Vine wrapped around Stone Mountain suddenly emitted dazzling green light, a tender vine quickly grew to over a hundred meters long, then whipped toward the fierce bird like lightning.
"Bang!"
The fierce bird was hit, letting out a tragic scream, spilling blood in the air, as it desperately flapped its wings trying to escape.
However, the Ancient Vine did not intend to let it go.
"Bang!"
The hundred-meter vine whipped again, shattering the bones of the fierce bird, rendering it unable to fly, and it skewed downward toward the ground.
"Boom!"
The massive fierce bird landed not far from the altar, snapping a cluster of bamboo, struggled a bit, then went still.
Jiang Xuan and the others were shocked into speechlessness, barely able to utter a word.
"The Vine... Vine... Vine God truly manifested."
Chi Shao had his mouth wide open; no one had anticipated that the Ancient Vine could be so terrifying, killing a fierce bird with just two strikes.
Jiang Xuan was even more scared in retrospect; just a few days ago they had climbed Stone Mountain via the Ancient Vine—had the Ancient Vine been murderous then, none of them would have survived.
Though he knew from memory that the world had many divine creatures, he hadn't seen one firsthand.
In his memory, when the Deer Tribe was annihilated, their Totem God did not intervene, and he didn't know why.
He hadn't expected an Ancient Vine to be so formidable, nor could he tell if it truly wanted to be the Vine Tribe's Totem God, or if the fierce bird simply wanted to snatch its offerings.
Jiang Xuan also suddenly understood why no fierce beasts were seen near the bamboo grove; they likely sensed danger instinctively and dared not approach, or were slain by the Ancient Vine.
"Swish swish swish…"
Countless roots suddenly sprouted from the ground, some extending to the altar, enveloping the offerings layer upon layer, while others wrapped around the enormous fierce bird, encasing it as well.
Jiang Xuan glanced with peripheral vision at those terrifying roots, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.
He had no idea whether the Ancient Vine agreed to be the Totem God—if it hadn't, would it attack them?
After all, the Ancient Vine was too frightening; if it wished to kill them, Jiang Xuan doubted he'd escape.
After a long time, the roots retracted back into the ground, Jiang Xuan looked at the altar to see that the prey had been consumed, leaving only hair and fresh skeletons.
The fierce bird was likewise reduced to feathers and bones.
Too terrifying!
Jiang Xuan steeled himself and continued to wait, hoping the Ancient Vine, considering the offerings, would spare them.
At that moment, five tender shoots quickly grew from the Ancient Vine, extending to hover above Jiang Xuan and the others.
"Vine... Vine God…"
Just as Jiang Xuan thought he was done for, a drop of emerald green liquid dripped from a tender leaf at the vine's tip onto his head, merging directly into his body.
In an instant, Jiang Xuan felt a surge of vast power flow into him, filled with rich vitality, nurturing his organs, flesh, and bones.
He clearly felt his strength, speed, eyesight, and hearing all rapidly improve.
Chi Shao, Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, and Nan Xing experienced the same, each receiving one drop of green liquid.
After realizing what had happened, Jiang Xuan joyfully kowtowed, exclaiming, "Thank you for the Vine God's grace!"
The others also bowed to thank the Ancient Vine, none had anticipated that such a modest sacrificial ceremony could bring such benefits.
It appeared the Ancient Vine truly wished to be the Vine Tribe's Totem God.
The five tender shoots retracted, the green light on the Ancient Vine gradually faded away, and the Ancient Vine went silent once again, appearing no different from other vines except for its size.
If not for the presence of the offerings' fur and bones, Jiang Xuan might have thought he had dreamt it all.
After a long time, Jiang Xuan returned to the bamboo house, still in a dazed state.
This world gave him a grand gift for the first time.
With the Ancient Vine's protection, coupled with Jiang Xuan's previous life's knowledge, he was confident the small tribe would eventually thrive!