Chapter Seventeen: The Infant’s Herbal Bath

After deciding to make contact with the Willow Spirit, Shi Jian no longer hesitated and directly requested the village elder to arrange a ritual.

The village elder agreed without hesitation.

“There’s no better time than the present; let it be tomorrow. Xiao Shi, you’ve just returned with so many fierce beasts from your hunt—perfect for offering some as sacrifices to the spirits!”

The elder promptly set the ritual for the next day. After giving Shi Jian a few instructions, he went to coordinate with the other elders in the village to prepare for the ceremony.

Shi Jian quietly returned to his stone hut, clutching the Primordial True Scripture.

Not wanting to disturb the little one sleeping on the bed, he immediately opened the scripture to study.

Although only those who have reached the pinnacle of the Blood-Shifting Realm can cultivate the Primordial True Scripture, this is not an absolute rule. The scripture’s runes can harm those who have not yet attained that level.

Now, with the strength of a body weighing eighty thousand jin and the awakened embryonic form of the Divine Elephant Prison Suppressing Qi, his actual power had reached one hundred eighty thousand jin.

He was more than qualified to study the scripture.

Shi Jian took out the treasured bone.

Countless intricate runes were carved upon the pristine white bone fragment. Upon a single glance, Shi Jian was utterly captivated.

The Primordial True Scripture dissected the mysteries of heaven and earth in the most original manner. It described the origins of the runes and annotated the formidable power of various ancient ferocious beasts.

Its scope encompassed every facet of the universe, embracing all phenomena.

Though it contained no records of treasure techniques, it was a profound analysis of the very essence of the runes.

Furthermore, it included verified examples illustrating the operation of the runes.

Vivid scenes unfolded, vividly depicting battles among ancient deities.

An overwhelming aura radiated from the treasured bone, striking at Shi Jian’s very soul.

With a sudden gasp, Shi Jian spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his spirit momentarily drained.

Yet, an unprecedented brilliance shone in his eyes.

“Truly worthy of the Primordial True Scripture!” he exclaimed in awe.

After reading it, his understanding of the cultivation path became much clearer.

Previously, his cultivation was like solving problems by rote, memorizing formulas and applying conditions mechanically.

Without the formula, he was nothing.

But the Primordial True Scripture taught him how to derive the formulas himself.

Not only knowing the “what” but also understanding the “why.”

“Perhaps now I can try to rebuild the Blood-Shifting Mirror…” Shi Jian mused thoughtfully.

His insights deepened profoundly after reading the scripture, and he grasped the true essence of the runes.

He also realized why he had never broken through the limit of eighty thousand jin.

His previous cultivation had flaws.

Eighty thousand jin was the ceiling.

If he hadn’t joined the chat group and obtained the Divine Elephant Prison Suppressing Qi, he would never have reached the pinnacle of the Blood-Shifting Realm.

With the Divine Elephant Prison Suppressing Qi, despite some imperfections in his cultivation, Shi Jian could reach the pinnacle.

But why settle for that when he could fix those flaws?

No one would refuse becoming stronger.

Moreover, rebuilding his cultivation didn’t mean discarding his current level and starting over.

It was merely a process of revisiting and refining his cultivation to fill in the gaps.

Without hesitation, Shi Jian began his cultivation.

Bone runes appeared one after another on his body’s surface, divine radiance spreading, his entire being shining with purity and holiness.

He closed his eyes, and at one moment, his breath plummeted to its lowest valley.

Then, countless streams of spiritual energy surged into his body, nourishing his flesh. His vital energy churned like a mighty river.

His blood surged, and runes gestated inside him.

He became like a furnace, radiating terrifying heat.

The baby sleeping nearby was forcibly awakened by the heat.

The little one stared in confusion at Shi Jian’s glowing body, suffused with divine radiance.

Thinking something was wrong, he tried to wake Shi Jian but was driven back by the intense heat.

Helpless, the child waddled over to find the village elder.

The elder, who had only just gone to bed, hurried over in a panic.

He looked at Shi Jian, deeply immersed in cultivation, unsure of what to do.

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

“He is rebuilding the Blood-Shifting Realm; do not disturb him…”

The ethereal voice reached the elder’s ears.

Looking up, he saw no one and was momentarily stunned before realizing who was speaking.

“You are the Spirit of the Sacrifice?” the elder asked, gazing toward the willow tree at the village entrance. A branch of the ancient willow had mysteriously lifted.

“Indeed,” the ethereal voice replied once more before fading away.

The elder exhaled deeply, relieved that nothing was amiss.

He had feared that the treasured bone might have caused complications in Shi Jian’s cultivation.

Now that the Spirit of the Sacrifice had manifested, all should be well.

He reassured the villagers, and the village quieted once more.

The little one was taken by the elder back to his home to sleep.

Oblivious to the outside world, Shi Jian remained deeply engrossed in his cultivation.

He was gradually perfecting the runes within his body.

When he finally awoke, it was already noon the next day.

“Ninety thousand jin of strength! Unexpected gains from rebuilding!” Shi Jian exclaimed joyfully.

After reconstructing the Blood-Shifting Realm, his physical power had reached ninety thousand jin.

He also sensed the embryonic form of the Giant Elephant stirring restlessly within him.

Indeed, the Primordial True Scripture was the ultimate cultivation method.

Just a brief glance had yielded such results.

Suppressing his joy, Shi Jian noticed that dawn had long passed.

“I got so absorbed in cultivation that I lost track of time. Fortunately, this is Stone Village—I must be more cautious in the future,” he warned himself silently.

No wonder the characters in novels secluded themselves in caves and set up protective formations.

Being ambushed while in such a state would be a grave misfortune.

After tidying up, Shi Jian stepped outside.

The village was bustling.

Large cauldrons were set up in the usual cultivation square.

Within them simmered various ancient herbs, poisonous insects, spring water, and the true blood of fierce beasts.

Children cried out in pain as they were bathed in these concoctions.

This was the purification of the body.

At the center stood a great cauldron, beneath which the elder stoked the fire.

Inside the cauldron was none other than the little one, faintly surrounded by a radiant glow.

This was the sign of runes integrating into flesh and blood.

When this glow fully transformed into divine radiance, the child would have truly crossed into the Blood-Shifting Realm.

At that point, he could draw upon the essence of heaven and earth to nourish himself and cultivate.

The process was terrifying.

The treasure blood of various fierce beasts permeated the skin, violently scouring the body, expelling impurities.

This repeated purification laid a solid foundation for the children.

Those without strong will could be tortured to death by the pain.

The agony of the treasure blood purging was like bones cracking and flesh tearing.

This great cauldron was made of the finest materials and emitted the most overwhelming power.

The other children could not endure such fierce energy.

Only the little one gritted his teeth and stood motionless within.