Translator: CinderTL
The next day,
At the foot of Heroic Soul Mountain, sacred to the Dog Clan,
Xun Ancai, accompanied by Xun Shitou, Xun Hua, and a group of clan elders, arrived for Xu Sanyan's third blessing ceremony.
Xu Sanyan glared inwardly at the clan elders, their faces twisted with displeasure. A bunch of old geezers! This time, I'll find a way to kill you all!
The group halted at the base of the mountain, but only Xun Ancai and Xu Sanyan ascended the path.
As Xu Sanyan gazed at the Dog God statue before him, his brow furrowed slightly. The stone figure seemed to have undergone subtle changes.
The originally crude lines had gained depth, the face appeared more lifelike, and the eyes, in particular, seemed to radiate a newfound vitality.
"Ancai, does the Dog God look different to you?"
Xun Ancai nodded, explaining, "Because it devoured the Snake God and the Bear God, the Dog God has grown even more powerful."
Xu Sanyan's heart suddenly lurched. He asked in a strange tone, "Devoured?"
Can statues be eaten?
Could this be a different kind of consumption and evolution?
"Yes," Xun Ancai replied.
Unsure how to explain further, she quickly changed the subject. "Let's offer our blessings."
"Alright," Xu Sanyan agreed.
He stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the Dog God statue. He couldn't shake the feeling that the deity was watching him.
Beside him, Xun Ancai knelt reverently, her hands clasped together, Earth Vein Stones nestled between her palms. She murmured a silent prayer.
Xu Sanyan, with his Soul Refinement cultivation level, possessed exceptionally keen senses. Normally, he would have been able to hear her clearly at such close range.
Yet strangely, the words escaping Xun Ancai's lips reached his ears as an incomprehensible babble. When he strained to understand, chaotic thoughts flooded his mind.
Xu Sanyan activated the Subduing the Heart-Ape Method to dispel the mental clutter, but he dared not attempt to decipher her words again.
This Praying to the Gods Method is truly bizarre!
Suddenly, a radiant glow erupted from the Earth Vein Stones, surging into the Dog God statue. The statue's eyes instantly lit up with an ethereal luminescence, as if brewing some profound power.
Whoosh—
Guided by Xun Ancai's gesture, the radiant beam struck Xu Sanyan directly. A hazy, amber light enveloped his entire body, far more intense than the previous time.
"Ah!!"
Xu Sanyan cried out in agony as excruciating pain radiated from within, almost audible as flesh tore and bones cracked and reformed.
He gritted his teeth, collapsing to the ground, desperately clinging to consciousness, fearing he would pass out if he couldn't endure.
The pain felt as if he had been thrown into a meat grinder, sharp blades slicing across every inch of his skin, crushing his bones and sinews, only for immense spiritual power to reconstruct his body.
And it happened repeatedly!
Crushing, reforming, crushing, reforming... Xu Sanyan could only lie helplessly on the ground, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, sweat dripping into his eyes, yet he lacked the strength to wipe it away.
Even moving a finger felt like a luxury.
This time, the pain was far more intense than before.
As the radiant glow faded, the Dog God statue returned to its original form, and Xun Ancai's ritual concluded. Heartbroken, she rushed forward to wipe his sweat, whispering comfort, "Hang in there, it'll be over soon."
Xu Sanyan had no strength to reply. His chest heaved violently like a broken bellows, emitting ragged, wheezing breaths.
Xun Ancai lifted him into her arms and turned to descend the mountain.
Xun Shitou, who had been speaking with a clan elder nearby, immediately fell silent as they approached.
The clan elders exchanged glances. One of them spoke up, "Ancai, hand him over to me. I'll take him back to recuperate."
This elder was the only member of the Dog Clan, aside from the deceased Old Clan Chief, who possessed extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs. His understanding of the human dao was second only to the Old Clan Chief's.
Therefore, his offer to care for Xu Sanyan seemed perfectly reasonable. Moreover, he had supported Xun Ancai during the clan chief election.
Xun Ancai hesitated. She knew that entrusting Xu Sanyan to the elder would undoubtedly speed his recovery, yet a nagging unease lingered in her heart. She couldn't quite articulate her concerns, but she simply didn't trust the situation.
Just as she was wavering, Xu Sanyan mustered the last of his strength. His voice hoarse, he rasped, "I want to stay with Ancai. Don't hand me over to anyone else."
With those words, Xu Sanyan slumped against Xun Ancai's shoulder, seemingly falling unconscious.
The elder's cloudy eyes darkened slightly. He repeated, "Clan Chief, rest assured. He'll recover in just two days under my care. I'll look after him properly."
Xun Shitou chimed in, "Exactly! What are you worried about?"
Xun Ancai slowly shook her head, her resolve unexpectedly firm. "No need. I'll take care of him myself."
She sensed that these men harbored ill intentions toward her man.
"Woof!"
Suddenly, the Five-Headed Dog's expression shifted. It bared its teeth and positioned itself protectively in front of Xun Ancai. Highly sensitive to changes in the air, it had clearly sensed a murderous intent just moments ago.
The Five-Headed Dog couldn't discern whether this killing intent was directed at Xun Ancai or at Xu Sanyan, who was perched on her shoulder, but it knew that neither of them could come to harm.
Xun Ancai's resolve hardened as she noticed the Five-Headed Dog's change in demeanor.
Xun Shitou glared at the Five-Headed Dog, his eyes burning with frustration. This ungrateful, foolish mutt! I'm doing this for the good of the Dog Clan, and this idiot doesn't understand a thing.
Without a word, Xun Ancai turned and left, taking Xu Sanyan and the Five-Headed Dog with her.
The next morning, Xu Sanyan opened his eyes and saw the Five-Headed Dog sprawled beside him. He let out a long sigh of relief.
"Woof!"
Seeing him awake, the Five-Headed Dog's five heads simultaneously began licking his face, leaving trails of wet saliva across his skin.
Xu Sanyan tried to push it away, but he lacked the strength and could only endure the dog's affection.
Besides, this was the Five-Headed Dog. Even in his prime, Xu Sanyan couldn't match this creature, let alone in his current weakened state.
"Alright, alright, settle down," Xu Sanyan said helplessly.
He would have been better off keeping his mouth shut. The moment he spoke, a long tongue swept across his lips.
"What the fuck?"
Xu Sanyan froze, his mind suddenly consumed by a single thought: Damn it! I dodged Xun Ancai's kiss only to end up kissing a dog instead?
I'd rather have kissed Xun Ancai! At least she's human.
Just then, Xun Ancai's voice drifted from outside the cave: "Oh, you're awake!"
Hearing her voice, the Five-Headed Dog finally released him and turned to lie down at the cave entrance, wagging its tail.
Xu Sanyan wiped his lips vigorously with his sleeve, still feeling deeply unsettled.
Xun Ancai sat beside him, her face beaming. She pulled open his robes, discarded the medicinal herb compress from his chest, and said, "This was left behind by the Old Clan Chief. She used to apply it to me after every blessing ceremony. Do you feel any better?"
Xu Sanyan struggled to sit up and nodded slowly. "Much better."
Though he still lacked strength, he could at least move now.
(End of the Chapter)
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