Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

Chapter 21 Spiritual Root Awakening

Perhaps it was the long-standing loneliness, the despair born from being trapped in this secluded canyon from which they could not escape, that made the old people in the valley feel that life was meaningless, and that living in this valley was nothing more than eking out a living and barely surviving.

So everyone went their separate ways to make a living, seeking a place to stay, eating wild fruits and vegetables, living a muddled and aimless life until the end.

Humans are different from other creatures. In addition to the instinct for survival, they have many other thoughts besides territory and reproduction.

Humans love to live in groups and are rich in emotions, thoughts, and all sorts of ideas, so even the most solitary person needs friends and family.

Therefore, even though they are trapped in this cage of heaven and earth, people still instinctively hope to gather together, rely on each other, and spend their days together.

For many years, however, there has been a lack of a bond that closely connects everyone.

Now, Mo Yuming has produced refined salt, which has greatly improved everyone's diet and has become the fuse to break the barrier sealed deep in people's hearts.

This created an opportunity for everyone to come together. In the time that followed, the canyon was filled with laughter and joy as everyone worked with unprecedented passion to create this paradise.

If you didn't see it with your own eyes, you would never believe that this was a group of elderly people busy at work.

The elderly people in the canyon may have been silent for too long, thinking that they had deeply hidden and buried their original thoughts, interests, hobbies, aspirations and pursuits in their hearts, and would never be stirred again.

However, this repressed instinctive need does not disappear with time; it simply lacks a trigger. Once it is triggered, it will immediately erupt to vent the long-suppressed instinct.

Everyone worked together, and each person did their best to do everything well.

Sister Huang and the few remaining elderly women in the canyon took on the responsibility of preparing meals for everyone without hesitation.

Food for several dozen people isn't a huge amount, but it's not a small amount either. Fortunately, they are all highly skilled practitioners of profound arts, so the labor required to prepare food for nearly a hundred people is no problem for them.

The work of picking vegetables, hunting, and gathering food was all handed over to the second and third generations of people in the canyon.

Although these twenty-odd people were all quite old, with even the youngest among them being over seventy, they each had their own strengths. They were familiar with the growth patterns of plants in the canyon and the distribution of various magical beasts and wild animals, making them adept at these tasks.

But this is only based on their knowledge of the canyon. After all, they have been playing and exploring in this canyon since birth, and they know everything about it.

As for other aspects, such as life experience, practical experience, and various skills, they were almost non-existent. To put it figuratively, they were a group of uncivilized primitive people.

His thinking and knowledge are no different from those of a five- or six-year-old child.

Their knowledge and experience were limited to the canyon. Their understanding of the outside world existed only in the stories of their elders, which were like a beautiful but abstract painting. They had heard about it but could not understand or explain it.

To be precise, they had never even seen or recognized the steamed buns and dumplings that people eat every day.

It could be said that their knowledge was even less than that of Mo Yuming, who was only seven or eight years old (referring to the original Mo Yuming, not the Mo Yuming who has lived two lives). They were a group of extremely old "children," living like humanoid apes.

They are the most obedient "good kids" in the canyon (referring to the first generation, regardless of age).

Therefore, assigning them to pick vegetables and hunt is most suitable, and they will certainly do their duty to the best of their ability. This is because every plant and tree in the canyon is something they know and are familiar with.

Apart from Old Man Mo Wen, who continued to guard Xianghe Valley, and Old Man Dugu, who was responsible for guarding Ruimu Valley, the rest of the people were busy.

The earliest and most active participant was Zhang the Blacksmith. He led five second-generation fire-attribute elders—Erhu, Sanbao, Qixing, Zhidian, and Yuelei—to collect metal ores, build furnaces to smelt steel, and forge kitchen utensils and other household items. The scene was bustling with activity.

Shi Potian was most interested in delicious food, so without much thought, he took the initiative to lead the old men with earth attributes, such as Sixi, Bada, and Zhongtu, to the foot of the cliff to search for fine-textured and hard rocks.

Large rocks were quarried and carved into large stone basins, vats, and jars for use in the main kitchen to store ingredients and prepare pickled foods.

Ji Xianlin led Yi Long, Chun Sheng, and Lin Mu to expand Mo Wen's medicinal garden, and also fenced off a large flat area around the garden with bamboo fences.

After weeding, loosening the soil, and deep cultivating, the land was divided into several areas. Not only were more medicinal herbs planted, but also many fragrant herbs and edible vegetables and spiritual herbs were added. Many fruit trees were also transplanted to the perimeter, expanding and upgrading the medicinal garden into a spiritual herb garden.

The remaining majority of the people, led by Li Mubo, felled trees and cleared the land, beginning the largest construction project in the canyon's history—the construction of the "Great Dining Hall"...

At first, things were a bit chaotic. The temporary canteen was set up next to the laboratory built by Mo Yuming and Xinlan. It was close to the small pond, making it easy to get water.

With seventy or eighty people dining together, and a large quantity of ingredients needed for each meal, Huang Rongrong, Qing Xiuniang, and Hu Sanniang took the initiative to assume the role of cooks.

Si Rongnong, Li Qinghan, Liu Nianlin, and several elderly women including Qimei, Qingwei, and Qiushui assisted from the side.

Whenever it's mealtime, everyone sits around on the lawn in front of the house, sharing the freshly prepared food. Although the place is a bit simple, it's always a joyful occasion.

Under the arrangement of a group of old men, Mo Yuming and Xinlan had personal attendants. No matter where they went, there were always two or more old men following them.

These followers were naturally the second and third generation of indigenous elders, and they were the only ones who were most responsible for their work, most obedient to orders, and very enthusiastic.

Besides supervising Mo Yuming and his companion's training, their main task was to refine salt under Mo Yuming's guidance.

It was unclear who was behind the scenes coordinating things, but the old men who accompanied Mo Yuming and his companion were frequently changed, so Mo Yuming had to carefully guide them in refining salt every day.

Although the local old men following Mo Yuming were not stupid, they had not received any skills training since childhood, so their understanding of many technical processes was still somewhat unsatisfactory.

Mo Yuming had to explain it to them repeatedly before they could grasp it, which gave Mo Yuming a huge headache.

However, these old men all showed an almost fanatical learning attitude towards their new jobs, wishing they could work day and night to exceed expectations and complete the tasks in the fastest and best possible way. They always obeyed his orders absolutely without question.

Seeing their behavior, Mo Yuming felt a little embarrassed to refuse!

And so, Mo Yuming had no choice but to keep busy every day, directing the old men to do this and that, constantly on the go. Fortunately, the salt purification process was not complicated, and after several days of instruction, the old men finally learned the purification method and were able to operate it on their own.

That day, as Mo Yuming and Xinlan were watching them refine salt, Mo Yuming suddenly noticed something strange about Xinlan beside him. Her body seemed to be emitting gusts of cold air, and her expression seemed somewhat dazed.

Mo Yuming was shocked and quickly shouted:

"Lanmei, what's wrong?"

"I……"

Xinlan herself was also somewhat dazed, unsure of how to answer, her face full of confusion.

"Oh! It's nothing, this is just a sign that little Xinlan's spiritual root is about to awaken!"

Qing Xiuniang, who was fetching water from the pond to clean the vegetables, was the first to notice something amiss and immediately put down her work and came over.

"Girl, don't panic. Regulate your breathing, calm your mind, and then find a clean place nearby to meditate and regulate your breathing."

After calming down, practice the breathing technique as usual, without being nervous. Then, look inward and observe your dantian to see where your spiritual root is located!

At this point, you will be able to discover a tiny spiritual root formed from a single element. This condensed element is easily identifiable; it has form and substance, unlike other ethereal spiritual energies.

Furthermore, other spiritual energies of different attributes will be repelled, preventing other spiritual energy from approaching.

Once you sense its presence, slowly use your mind to sense it, allowing it to connect with your mind.

After establishing a connection, urge it to rotate, and then urge it to rotate as fast as possible. Don't panic. This process won't be too difficult or last too long. Soon your spiritual root will awaken and condense into shape on its own, beginning to absorb the spiritual power of the surrounding single attribute.

At this time, the spiritual energy in your dantian will be driven by the spiritual root to form a vortex like a tornado.

The spiritual energy in your dantian will then be continuously absorbed into your spiritual root. At this point, you simply need to absorb as much spiritual energy as possible to replenish what you've consumed.

Qing Xiuniang came to Xinlan's side, gently comforted her, and carefully instructed her, reminding her of the things she needed to pay attention to.

"Xinlan's spiritual root has awakened? This girl's talent is truly remarkable. She awakened it at just five years old. She's a rare genius!"

At this moment, Hu San Niang also came over and stood with Qing Xiuniang, looking at Xinlan with great joy.

"Hey, you guys, stop for now and don't make any noise that might disturb the girl's cultivation!"

At this moment, Huang Rongrong also came out of the room. After glancing at Xinlan, who was sitting on the stone cultivating, she turned to the old men who were still refining salt and said something.

Soon, the area around the small pond quieted down, but more and more people gathered around. They stood quietly around the pond, watching Xinlan cultivate as if they were examining a novel object.

"It's been so long since I've seen a spiritual root awakening. It really brings back memories!"

Li Mubai gracefully landed on the sloping rock by the pool.

"Among us old folks, Qi Mei was the last to awaken her spiritual root, wasn't she? She seemed to have awakened her spiritual root when she was around seven years old, and more than eighty years have passed in the blink of an eye!"

Even the usually quiet Mrs. Liu Nianlin remarked with emotion.

"It seems so, it was the year I fell into the canyon!"

At this moment, Teng Yangqiu also stood by the small pond and said in a low voice.

"Where is Xinlan's mother? Has she never awakened her spiritual root?"

Mo Yuming was utterly puzzled. He wondered if the old men had made a mistake, because Xinlan's mother was only in her fifties, how could they have forgotten her?

"Although Xinlan's mother also possesses spiritual roots, her spiritual roots have not yet been awakened."

Not everyone in this world can awaken their spiritual root; even among those who possess it, only about half are able to awaken it.

In fact, even in this canyon, there have been several beings who had no spiritual roots or who had spiritual roots but were unable to awaken them.

Xinlan's uncle was one of those ordinary people without spiritual roots, and he passed away before he was fifty! That child was smart and lively, quite likable, but it's a pity he didn't have spiritual roots, otherwise he wouldn't have left so early..."

At this moment, Kong Zhigui, an old man who had lived in the canyon for over ninety years, sighed and said.

"Kid, watch carefully and feel this process more. It will help you awaken your spiritual root in the future!"

Ji Xianlin appeared behind Mo Yuming without anyone noticing.

After a short while, the old people in the canyon appeared one after another around the small pool, watching with great interest as Xinlan awakened her spiritual root.

Xinlan sat on the rock with her eyes closed, meditating quietly. At this moment, a faint blue light emanated from her body, and the temperature around her dropped accordingly.

Fifteen minutes later, the flowers, plants and rocks around Xinlan gradually formed a layer of white frost due to the cold.

As time passed, the area covered by the white frost gradually expanded. After half an hour, it had grown to more than three feet, and after an hour, it had reached six feet. At this time, wisps of icy energy also began to swirl and spread around Xinlan.

"It's almost done, Rongrong, help her take this!"

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Mubai, the old man Dugu tossed something to the air. Huang Rongrong caught it gracefully, and Mo Yuming looked closely and realized it was the Ice Jade Fruit that he and Xinlan had tasted not long ago. The fruit was cool and refreshing, with a wonderfully delicious flavor.

After receiving the Ice Jade Fruits, Huang Rongrong gently waved her right hand, and a pure white stream of water instantly condensed at her fingertips. The stream, carrying two Ice Jade Fruits, shot straight towards Xinlan's cherry-like mouth. When the Ice Jade Fruits touched Xinlan's lips, they miraculously transformed into a stream of juice that flowed into her mouth. Meanwhile, the white stream of spiritual energy that Huang Rongrong had released moved upwards to Xinlan's brow, and a continuous flow of water elemental power surged into Xinlan's body from a distance.

In an instant, the icy aura that had been gradually stopping its spread suddenly expanded rapidly in all directions again. The icy aura swirling around Xinlan also spun even faster. Mo Yuming, who was several feet away, felt the chilling aura coming towards him and couldn't help but shiver.

At this moment, Xinlan, standing at the center of the icy aura, had skin that became almost translucent, resembling a finely sculpted jade doll. The rampant cold had expanded to a radius of ten feet. Wherever the cold aura enveloped, frost formed.

An hour later, Xinlan's eyelashes, which were as stiff as ice sculptures, trembled slightly. Then, the frost around her began to melt rapidly, and Xinlan's skin began to slowly become warm and smooth.

"Haha! This is truly a cause for celebration! From this day forward, our Yishi Village has gained another cultivator of profound arts, a cultivator with exceptional talent in the ice attribute!"

Shi Potian, with his big mouth, was the first to burst into laughter.

"Yes, it's worth celebrating, absolutely worth celebrating! Hey, Sister Huang, how about we have a celebration party tonight?"

Gan Ran, who was as thin as a rake but had a large, bulbous nose, smiled at Huang Rongrong with a slightly fawning expression.

"Yes! Yes! We absolutely have to throw a grand banquet! It's been eighty years! Our canyon hasn't seen any new blood in over eighty years!!"

Li Xiangrong, who has lived in the canyon for over 110 years, remarked with emotion.

"Hey, old man Li, are you out of your mind? I, Huang Rongrong, am not even ninety years old yet, and I've only been in this canyon for less than fifty years. Am I not considered a new force?"

Huang Rongrong was displeased upon hearing this.

"Hehe, Palace Master Huang, don't misunderstand. I'm talking about the younger generation who have just awakened their spiritual roots. We old folks don't count!"

Li Xiangrong quickly explained.

"This celebration banquet is indeed appropriate. I remember that in the past, whenever any of the younger generation in the family had outstanding talent, the whole family would celebrate and give some rewards to the geniuses of the younger generation on the day they awakened their spiritual roots."

However, conditions in our canyon are limited, so there's not much to reward us with. Fortunately, Yu Ming has produced pure salt, so hosting a banquet shouldn't be too difficult. I propose a bonfire party tonight!

Ji Xianlin patted Mo Yuming on the shoulder and said.

"Alright, since Brother Ji has brought it up, let's throw a celebration party together! My dear sisters, let's get started on the preparations!"

Huang Rongrong said with a smile.

"Since this is a celebration for Xinlan, we can't let her suffer. Ah Long, Ah Hu, and Ah Bao, you guys come with me to catch a bull-tailed roe deer for Xinlan, so she can taste the flavor of monster meat and have a good time eating it, haha!"

Shi Potian leaped over the pool, arrived at the edge of the woods, called a few second-generation elders, and headed into Ruimu Valley.