Chapter 43 Second Stage Growth
It's another clear morning. The sun has just risen, and the bonfire from last night is still burning, but the young warriors of the Mangshan tribe have already returned from hunting outside with more than a dozen wild beasts.
In the thatched cottage, Old Liu looked at the "dung egg" placed in front of him by the high priest with a sideways glance and said suspiciously: "Old man, are you sure this thing is effective?"
The benevolent high priest smiled slightly and nodded, saying: "That's natural. The effect is very good, but the process is a bit dangerous."
"I'm a pure man, afraid of danger! Bring anything over!" Old Liu first boasted for a while, then swallowed his saliva, picked up this dung egg that was seven or eight times bigger than himself, smelled it, and said with a nauseated face: "Are all magical plants growing like this? It's too weird. No matter how you look at it, it's just a dung egg!"
The high priest said slowly, "This demonic fruit is a magical plant that has absorbed the dark energy of the swamp for thousands of years. It's usually buried deep in the ground, and only a few magical beasts with keen sense of smell can find it. So, its value is no less than that of a high-level magical beast, far surpassing the magical plant root you ate before. If you eat this demonic fruit and combine it with my forbidden technique, I'm afraid you'll be able to purify the lava power in your body immediately and complete your second growth."
Old Liu said with a worried and bitter face: "But I have to be able to eat it, okay?! It's so big, even if I'm a glutton, I won't be able to stuff it in!"
"Stupid!" The high priest shook his head, suddenly stretched out a hand and pointed. This magic fruit that looked like a dung egg suddenly shrunk rapidly, and under Old Liu's gaze, it burst open, revealing that the outer layer was actually wrapped around an extremely hard and thick fruit shell. The sesame-sized particles inside were the true appearance of the magic fruit.
"Pomegranate!" Old Liu suddenly remembered a kind of fruit from his previous life, and with some sighs, he picked up one of the sesame seeds in his hand and took a bite. Hmm, sweet and quite tasty. But why is it so cool?!
The so-called magical plants are called "magic plants" because they, like magical beasts and insects, contain powerful supernatural energy. To find these magical plants, you must be in a place with unique energy that is abundant and abnormal. For example, volcanoes will produce magic plants that contain strong fire elements, the deep sea will produce sea anemones that are full of water vapor, and the bottomless abyss will grow moss that has a dark aura. Generally, these plants cannot be separated from their special growth environments. Of course, these are all supernatural system plants, like the man-eating tree, which is also considered a magical plant, but it's unclear what category it belongs to. Even the great priest, who is knowledgeable and learned, has done little research on these carnivorous plants, or perhaps he wants to study them but doesn't know where to start.
Of course, most of the magical plants that contain elemental energy have already been thoroughly researched by humans, and some were even put into use thousands of years ago. Among them, alchemy in the civilized world must be mentioned. This manufacturing profession, which has been passed down since ancient times, has now branched out into many different fields. Those who are called alchemists are all research fanatics. After thousands of years of exploration and experimentation, they have screened, classified, and labeled the medicinal properties and effects of tens of thousands of known magical plants. They have also researched the stability of these plants and extracted their beneficial essence to manufacture various potions and luxurious living products. This technology has already become an integral part of human life in this era, making it indispensable. In contrast, the barbarians of Gaya, although they had contact with magical plants earlier and used them to feed magical beasts and insects to accelerate their growth, still maintain a very primitive state in terms of application. They do not possess the numerous fancy techniques that alchemists in civilized societies generally have. Here, only practical effects are emphasized!
After swallowing a dozen sesame seeds, Old Liu felt somewhat full and rubbed his stomach, saying with a sense of disappointment: "No feeling at all. It's just a bit cool."
"Get ready, you'll feel it soon," the high priest said faintly. As soon as his voice fell, Old Liu felt a chill run through his five organs and six viscera, as if his blood was frozen in an instant, even his thoughts became abnormally slow.
Old Liu opened his mouth, and the air coming out of it carried a chill. He grasped his own neck with both hands, his movements stiff like those in an old movie from decades ago. His facial expression was frozen, unsure whether it was pain or anger.
"This is your second growth spurt, it's come a bit suddenly. But I suppose you won't be surprised either."
The high priest dipped his finger in the tea water and drew a circle under Liu Ting's struggling feet. One hand slowly rang out the bell, ding-dong, the sound was like a huge bronze drum, shaking people's hearts and lungs, it was as if one suddenly heard the morning bell ringing in the temple in the mountains, the long sound spreading far and wide, making people's minds dazed for a moment, as if they had entered a mysterious realm.
Old Liu seemed to be in the polar regions, still in a state of full-body nudity without proper warmth measures. His entire body was extremely cold, his limbs gradually losing sensation, and even a layer of frost had formed on the surface of his skin. Only his heart retained a spark of fire, supporting his consciousness from being devoured by the extreme cold, completely disappearing.
"The power of magma, although belonging to the fire system energy, is more intense than ordinary fire system energy. It's almost the ultimate application of fire element energy! However, the blood of the magma giant lizard you absorbed, although pure, is far inferior to that of the King Kong Beast and the Rainforest Electric Python. Therefore, the produced fire system energy is also far inferior to the other two."
"The power of magma is only a fire element force that has not been truly transformed, and it's impure and unrefined. Not only can't it bring you actual benefits, but it may also hold you back as you grow. It triggers the rejection of two other abilities, rendering everything you've done before useless. The fruit of magic grows in the dark, damp caves, deep swamps, between darkness and water elements, and is incompatible with fire elements, but it's an excellent medicine for purifying fire elements. Its essence can trigger a riot of fire elements within your body, constantly refining them through elemental consumption into magma power, so you'll have the qualifications to merge these three abilities into your own bloodline, truly making them yours."
"Do you feel pain? If it hurts, then burst out the fire elements within yourself and thoroughly transform them into lava power!" The High Priest spoke slowly, his voice transmitted through the contract of the Heavenly Dragon, entering Old Liu's sea of consciousness, causing Old Liu's gradually weakening consciousness to suddenly jolt and violently stir.
In the depths of his soul, a halo of intertwined lightning and flames suddenly burst forth with flame energy, driving away the cold air that had invaded from all sides. Old Liu, who was stiff all over, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, also wounded by the collision originating from his own soul. But in the next moment, his pale purple face gradually turned red, becoming exceptionally ruddy, and within just ten or so seconds, it seemed as if he were about to explode, with scorching hot air jetting out from his ears, nose, and mouth.
Ah! Old Liu suddenly let out a painful roar, opening his mouth to spew out a thin line of fire, feeling that the clash of energy within him had reached its limit. Even the power of thunder and lightning stirred restlessly, wanting to join in. Feeling the threat of death, Old Liu struggled with all his might, dashing left and right in an attempt to break free, but no matter what he did, he couldn't escape the circle drawn by the High Priest. In the end, he could only detonate all his energy in a furious roar, unleashing thunder, flames, and extreme cold, which exploded with a deafening crash, blowing apart nearly half of his body. A strange thing happened: the bodily tissues that had exploded from Old Liu's body did not scatter in all directions, but instead quietly suspended within the circle, then slowly began to quiver, as if some sort of connection had been formed between them. At the same time, massive amounts of blood energy continuously surged forth, and it was at this moment that Old Liu welcomed his second growth!
"If it weren't for Demul's gift, I wouldn't have dared to take such a risk and would have had to think of another way. But with this Dragon Yuan Dan, helping you reforge your body is simply a trivial matter. And after a few days, using the Thunderbolt to infuse your body, enhancing the power of the Thunderfire, and tempering your Dominant Body are all effortless tasks!" As he spoke, the High Priest's eyes suddenly emitted two intense beams of light, which were actually the Forbidden Technique of Scorching Eyes that had killed the mutated Deep Hole Beast in one hit. However, this time it was different from the last time.
The Blazing Eye is a forbidden technique derived from the Seven Great Taboos, specifically the God-Slaying Eye. In fact, among the over 1,000 existing forbidden techniques, apart from a small portion passed down from the Ghost Dragon Festival, all others are derived from these seven taboos. Through the excavation and research of the Festival's lineage over thousands of years, suitable techniques for cultivation were developed. However, they are naturally subject to the constraints of the Seven Great Taboos. For example, Tartar's Scarlet Flame Dragon God is a forbidden technique derived from the Blood Flame Taboo. Although its power is extremely strong, almost rivaling the Seven Great Taboos, it still falls under the constraint of the Blood Flame Taboo. That's why Tartar was so cautious when attacked by the Eagle earlier. Of course, among these taboos, the God-Slaying Eye, although also one of the Seven Great Taboos, is more inclined towards the Festival's techniques and has healing, repairing, and supplementing effects. Comparable to the mainstream world's light-based medical magic, the Blazing Eye has an extraordinary effect, capable of attacking and annihilating enemy souls while healing friendly troops' physical bodies. The High Priest is now casting the Blazing Eye, instantly expelling the lingering cold air within Old Liu's body and keeping his scattered flesh fresh and alive, without losing its vitality.
"Next, it's this." The High Priest took out another half of the precious Dragon Yuan Dan and carefully hung a small amount on its edge with his fingernail. Taking advantage of the vast yuan energy that had not yet spread out, he shot all of it into the light circle.
In an instant, the dying Old Liu's scattered flesh and blood grew wildly, actually rivaling the super-fast regeneration of a superior demon beast after shedding its original body. The raging thunder and flames were once again absorbed back into his body by Old Liu. The source of energy, that ring of intertwined lightning and fire, merged with his soul at this moment, truly fusing together to form a cluster of starry lights, mutually containing each other, indistinguishable from one another.
Lao Liu's body surface, the regrown flesh and blood inflated his body several times larger, transforming Lao Liu from a 3-centimeter tiny creature into an almost one-meter "giant". Of course, this is relative. However, this has already been a qualitative leap. In terms of physical structure, Lao Liu also became more human-like, with his face changing from an Akama-style deformity to a Cheng Qian-style majesty. A root-like thing similar to that grew out below his navel. Of course, it can be seen but not used. Hmm, how to say, it seems there is still a slight defect.
"You old scoundrel! You want to kill me!" Old Liu, who had come to his senses, looked at the High Priest's and Veil's smiling faces, and with a loud crash, he kicked him in the foot and slapped him twice. But unexpectedly, the High Priest nodded in approval and said with great satisfaction: "Not bad. Much better than I expected. Just a little more and you'll be able to advance to the higher ranks. My method may seem dangerous, but it's guaranteed. It's much safer than hiding on your own."
"Damn it!" Old Liu gritted his teeth, but had nothing to say. He was still fuming with anger. Suddenly, a black figure rushed over and pounced on the unfinished Demon's Fruit, devouring it frantically. The speed was comparable to a starving ghost reincarnated. Old Liu was startled, and upon closer inspection, he found that it was his own ungrateful younger brother, Old Black. His face changed color in an instant, and with one swift motion, he grabbed the voraciously eating Old Black and lifted him up, scolding him in a fit of rage: "You're still eating! I almost died earlier!!!... Wait, how did you manage to advance to mid-tier!!!"
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