Five thousand miles east of the Blazing Flame Division lies a great marsh, named the Great Wild Marsh, inhabited by monster fish, with one head and ten bodies, its sound resembling a dog's bark.
The monster fish from the Great Wild Marsh appeared outside the tribe, evidently the flood had reached the marsh, causing the monster fish to swim upstream.
Hearing it was only a Tier Two monster fish, the tribespeople in the caves breathed a sigh of relief.
Ever since the flood carried corpses, everyone in the tribe, except the children, felt uneasy, fearing the sudden emergence of terrifying wild beasts.
The disasters of the Great Wilderness are entirely unpredictable; no one knows when they will appear.
The fear for the unknown is compounded by one's own lack of strength, amplifying this fear.
Shen Can felt the same.
The only reason for overthinking is the lack of confidence.
Truly afraid that a Tier Three wild beast might appear, leaving no time to develop.
Soon the tribe became busy, chunks of beast meat were taken by tribespeople and sent to those at the Mountain Opening Realm on the shore.
A Tier Two monster fish is the best gift from the continuous rain to the Blazing Flame Tribe.
Tier Two beast blood is also a necessary resource to advance to the Tier Two Mountain Opening Realm. It's been years since the tribe last saw a new Mountain-Opening Realm Martial Artist.
Upon discovering the monster fish, Huo Chang immediately instructed the tribe to start hunting this monster fish.
The Human Race survives in the Great Wilderness not only through martial arts, but also by skillfully using tools and working together.
At least when hunting wild beasts below Tier Three, this proves very useful.
Huo Shan and others threw beast meat into the floodwaters.
The flood rushed swiftly, and the beast meat was swept away soon after being tossed in.
The group did not stop.
"Woof..."
Finally, a sound resembling a dog's bark echoed within the floodwaters once again.
In the murky waters, a pitch-black monster fish leapt out from the flood.
Its bloated, fused body was rotund, as if numerous fish bodies had melded together.
"Splash!"
Its mouth, as big as a millstone, swallowed the descending beast meat whole, floodwater pouring from the gaps between its jaws.
"Throw again!"
Seeing this, the tribespeople onshore again threw beast meat, luring the monster fish closer.
"Fire!"
"Whiz-whiz-whiz!"
When the monster fish approached less than three yards from the shore, hook spears pierced into its body.
Rumble!
Without giving the monster fish a chance to muster its strength and struggle, it was flung from the flood, crashing heavily against the mountain side.
Once ashore, the monster fish's tail slapped against the rock wall, creating a thunderous sound, while beast blood gushed out from the pierced areas on its body.
"Quickly, catch it; we can't waste this fish blood."
Shen Can didn't clearly see the scene of the action, but the bloated monster fish caught his eye, such a big figure.
At the end of the mountains and waters, one fears there's no way through, yet unexpectedly, a meal is finally here.
Mountain-Opening Realm's monster fish, its lifespan unknown.
The monster fish was quickly dragged into the Ancestral Temple.
Outside the cave, a crowd gathered, heads both large and small.
To show respect for the Tier Two wild beasts, Shen Can had already smoothed his hemp clothing, ready for action.
"Master, let me do it!"
Seeing Huo Xian approach the wooden rack holding the Blood Vase and Simurgh Blade, Shen Can quickly spoke.
As usual, the monster fish was firmly pressed down by the tribespeople.
However, the martial artists pressing down on the monster fish were stronger than last time, all Tier Two martial artists from the tribe.
He dared to stab the Tier Two monster fish because he had backing from the tribespeople.
Actually, it would be the same if Master Huo Xian came; Huo Xian, in his youth, was a martial artist at the Stone-Breaking Realm, but with age, his vitality had declined.
Therefore, every time the tribe hunts a powerful prey, the tribespeople will first press it down and let Huo Xian act.
"Little Acan, you've truly become an Ancestral Temple Keeper."
"Stab boldly, Uncle won't let go."
"The ancestors are by your side; everyone be quiet."
Huo Xian followed behind Shen Can, silencing the tribespeople who wanted to speak.
"Acan, begin."
Shen Can nodded.
Then, he froze.
Beast Ear Painting Witch Talisman.
He wondered, where are a fish's ears?
Getting promoted right away, lacking experience is really problematic.
"The bones on either side of the fish head are the fish's inner ear." Huo Xian's voice rang out, having followed along.
With his master's backing, Shen Can jumped onto the monster fish's skull and found the inner ear location.
The pungent fishy smell rushed into his nostrils, nearly causing him to fall headfirst, while Huo Xian, watching from the side, displayed a tense expression.
Back when he became an Ancestral Temple Keeper, it was after presiding over sacrifices for more than two years before he began touching the offerings of Tier Two Wild Beasts. Shen Can, at most, had been following him for just over half a month.
The stronger the Wild Beast, the more intense its aura. Shen Can gritted his teeth and used the beast blood from the Blood Vase as ink, sketching on the fish's head.
What's with the struggle, I've come to collect you.
Muttering incantations under his breath.
"The sacrificial animals are fat and sleek, the grains are abundant."
The monster fish's entire skeleton and scales were solid, but fortunately, its jaw was quite protruded. Shen Can gripped the Simurgh Blade and used all his strength.
"Puff!"
Gushing monster fish blood flowed out, filling the Blood Vase.
[The Sacrificial Master has seized the offering: the lineage of the Tier Two Great Wilderness Exotic Species Heluo Fish with a lifespan of 370 years]
As the Simurgh Blade stabbed in, a thought flashed through Shen Can's mind.
Subsequently, the once fiercely struggling Heluo Fish's struggles weakened significantly.
After drawing blood, it was time to divide up the monster fish meat.
Unlike the last time they dissected the Mountain-Splitting Kui, this time the tribesmen brought a stone trough and collected all the monster fish blood, filling three stone troughs full.
The Mountain-Opening Realm Martial Artist who had pinned down the monster fish earlier gazed at the fish blood in the stone troughs with a burning look in their eyes.
Shen Can was quite familiar with that look, having once stared at Tier One beast blood in the same way.
"Once I've adjusted the herbs properly, we can use them for soaking."
Huo Xian spoke, drawing everyone's attention away from the stone troughs.
Beast blood is violent, and every time before soaking, a portion of herbs is needed for neutralization. Although the effect is minimal, every small reduction could be the difference between success and failure.
The entire Tier Two monster fish was dissected before dawn broke.
Most of this Tier Two meat served as food for Tier Two Martial Artists, with some reserved for Tier One Martial Artists. Ordinary tribesmen almost got none.
Even a ten-foot-long monster fish like this doesn't last many days for the Blazing Flame Tribe's thirteen Mountain-Opening Realm Martial Artists. It's one of the few resources to enhance strength.
The sacrificial meat offered to the ancestors also drew requests from tribesmen.
This time, however, it wasn't the kids of the tribe, but the tribe's Stone-Breaking Realm Martial Artists, as well as some who were preparing to advance to Stone-Breaker, including Ayu.
As the Ancestral Temple Keeper, Shen Can selected a piece filled with rich blood energy for Ayu.
After distributing the meat, Shen Can intended to return and continue deducing the Kui Ox Fist but noticed the candlelight still flickering in the East Ear Cave, with Huo Xian's forehead wrinkled deeply.
On the stone table lay three piles of herbs, ready to neutralize the beast blood's violent aura.
This was a recipe passed down from ancestors.
Huo Xian's brow was furrowed tightly.
As the tribe's Witch Doctor, one of his desires was to improve the Neutralizing Medicine Formula to reduce the explosiveness of beast blood.
"Jade Marrow Orchid, Lotus Seed, Mountain Heart Soil..."
Shen Can took out a clay pot, ready to separately store the three sets of herbs.
"Hold on, let me think again."
Huo Xian removed part of the Mountain Heart Soil from one of the herb lots, then shook his head and put it back.
The neutralizing herb formula was the result of the tribe's many years of experimentation. Tier Two beast blood is rare, and rash changes could severely harm the tribesmen soaking the blood, harming the tribe's Mountain-Opening Realm Martial Artist numbers.
Every time he prepared beast blood, Huo Xian was very conflicted, pondering back and forth for decades now.
Seeing this, Shen Can didn't disturb Huo Xian further; he quietly stood in the corner.
"Evolve the Blazing Flame Division Mountain-Opening Realm Beast Blood Neutralizing Witch Medicine Formula."
With the knowledge he had accumulated this life, Shen Can understood it well.
Only if the Blazing Flame Division is well off can he be too.
Secretly enhancing the tribe's strength, as the number of Martial Artists increases, naturally more Wild Beasts will be hunted down, forming a complementary cycle.
If the tribe collapses, none would survive.
Moreover, the tribesmen are all good people.
Raising the strength of the tribe's people means increasing his own level of security. This is worth doing.
May the ancestors bless him, don't let him die early.
Within the imaginary Three-legged Sacrificial Tripod Cauldron in his body, the small figure appeared once more, this time no longer beginning with martial arts, but sitting for discussions, with a look of deep contemplation.
[You, new to the Path of the Witch Doctor, are ambitious, choosing the Tier Two Witch Medicine Formula to study, wishing to improve it, buried in research for ten years, diligently creating your own improved formula.]
[The tribesmen used it, all died, in horrific states, like boiling in hot water, the fragrance wafting, unbearable to see.]
[In thirteen years, you created a good formula, yet tribesmen used it, not a whole body remained.]
[Another fifteen years, having lost yourself to madness, you took your own formula, died.]
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