Chapter 52

Liu Shi originally and straightforwardly told Tang Xiaojiu that Duan Cishi was a place where the weak were preyed upon by the strong. Despite the harsh living conditions with lava and fire all around, this mountain range stretched for thousands of miles, harboring countless creatures of all kinds. Some were extremely weak, while others were unimaginably powerful, even possessing earth-shattering abilities. The valley where Tang Xiaojiu was located was merely on the outskirts of Duan Cishi. If he ventured deeper, even a mosquito could sting him to death!

As for those Mengmeng birds, although they appeared ferocious and reproduced rapidly, swarming like clouds over Duan Cishi, they were actually food for most of the creatures in Duan Cishi! Without these Mengmeng birds, most of the creatures in Duan Cishi would not survive. Therefore, in Duan Cishi, only the truly powerful could survive. And the first thing Tang Xiaojiu needed to do was to survive in such an environment!

Although Tang Xiaojiu's mind was still somewhat sharp, in this place where brains were not needed, what mattered was having enough strength, running fast enough, and jumping high enough. Of course, if he could become invisible or fly, that would be even better. Otherwise, any strange and bizarre beast could pounce and kill him with a single strike. Therefore, Liu Shi sternly warned Tang Xiaojiu not to leave the valley, not even to go to the valley entrance.

After hearing all this, Tang Xiaojiu was silent for a long time, saying nothing. However, Liu Shi gradually sensed a change in Tang Xiaojiu. Indeed, Tang Xiaojiu finally spoke, and his first words were, "Liu Shi, how can I survive!"

Although his tone was still heavy and lacked his usual confidence and humor, Liu Shi clearly felt that Tang Xiaojiu's will to survive was beginning to force him to face the reality before him. From the look in his eyes, Liu Shi knew that Tang Xiaojiu was already planning in his mind. Since he had been brought here, Liu Shi would not let him die so easily.

However, he had already anticipated that Tang Xiaojiu would ask this question and simply and firmly told him one word: "Eat!"

Although Duan Cishi was covered in lava and had geysers of fire everywhere, the soil was extremely fertile, and the vegetation grew lush, supporting various birds and beasts. Some Liu Shi could recognize, but most he could not.

Because of this word "eat," for three months, Tang Xiaojiu picked wild fruits, dug for roots, set traps, and explored caves, trying every possible way to eat anything he could get his hands on. He ate all kinds of fruits and beasts, whether he recognized them or not. With the help of the sharp black knife, he managed to deal with the beasts, but several times he ate poisonous fruits that nearly cost him his life.

However, such experiences were not without benefits. Once, Tang Xiaojiu found a red fruit that emitted a strange fragrance. Liu Shi did not recognize it. Driven by hunger and unable to resist the temptation, Tang Xiaojiu put it in his mouth. Just as he bit into it, the juice burst into his mouth, instantly paralyzing his entire body, making him collapse on the ground, unable to move a single finger. It took him half a day to slowly recover.

Fortunately, every time Tang Xiaojiu tried new wild fruits or meat, he would return to his hidden cave, preparing a large amount of water to wash his stomach in case of poisoning. If he had eaten the paralyzing fruit in the wild, he would have been carried away by various beasts long ago. However, this near-death experience brought Tang Xiaojiu great hope. The fruit had such a miraculous effect that it could be used to set traps to catch beasts, making it much easier.

Indeed, when the birds and beasts ate the bait laced with the juice of these fruits, they were paralyzed, falling to the ground in strange postures, stiff and motionless. Tang Xiaojiu dragged them back to his cave and ate them.

When Tang Xiaojiu first caught a beast and was about to eat its meat, Liu Shi made a strange move. He did not allow Tang Xiaojiu to cook the meat but forced him to eat it raw. The meat was extremely pungent and bloody, and Tang Xiaojiu thought Liu Shi had gone mad, refusing to comply. He shouted, "You're a monster, but I'm not! I want to eat roasted meat!" Just as he started a fire to cook the meat, Liu Shi controlled his left hand, slashing the fire and chopping the raw meat into pieces, forcing it into Tang Xiaojiu's mouth.

Tang Xiaojiu resisted fiercely, but his left side was controlled by Liu Shi, and he could not fight back. He was forced to eat the raw meat and drink the blood. Soon after, his body reacted violently, with his blood and qi surging and then freezing, making him roll on the ground in agony, curled up in fear, wondering if the beast was poisonous.

However, after the strange sensations disappeared, Tang Xiaojiu woke up from his coma and was surprised to find that his body had undergone a significant change. He ran faster, jumped higher, and became less sensitive to cold and heat, his physique becoming so strong that he could hardly believe it. He finally understood Liu Shi's intention in making him eat the raw meat.

Thus, they had a conversation.

Tang Xiaojiu: "Liu Shi, you made me eat the raw meat and blood of those beasts to make my body stronger, right? Does cooking the meat make it ineffective?"

Liu Shi: "The essence of those beasts is in their blood and qi. Once exposed to fire, it dissipates into the air. Tang Xiaojiu, do you remember when I told you I would teach you great supernatural powers, allowing you to transcend the constraints of the world and rise above all living things?"

Tang Xiaojiu, unusually serious: "So, does eating these beasts continuously make me stronger?"

Liu Shi: "It's not that simple. I told you I am a divine consciousness left by a remarkable person from a thousand years ago. Now, I will tell you that this consciousness not only left behind a few tasks but also a cultivation method!"

Tang Xiaojiu's eyes darted, thinking, "Why didn't you say this before! Damn, how many more secrets are you hiding from me? Well, I can't fight you now, so I'll just pretend to be ignorant." He asked, "Cultivation method, what's a cultivation method?"

Liu Shi: "In the cultivation world, both the Buddhist and Daoist realms have their own cultivation methods. As a human, to gain supernatural powers, you need a cultivation method to achieve your goal."

Tang Xiaojiu: "Is your cultivation method powerful?"

Liu Shi: "In the cultivation world, the two most powerful methods are the Daoist 'Taishang Xuemiao Jing' and the Buddhist 'Thirty-Two Bodhisattva Transformations.' One leads to immortality, the other to Buddhahood. These two methods are the origins of all cultivation methods in the cultivation world. However, my path is different and comes from another remarkable method."

On the way from the human world to Duan Cishi, Tang Xiaojiu had heard Liu Shi talk about the cultivation world and knew about the Buddhist and Daoist realms. He asked, "What path does your method lead to?"

Liu Shi: "You don't need to ask so many questions now! You only need to know that cultivating this method first requires a strong body. Start by strengthening your body. This is the first step of the method, called 'body refinement.' It involves transforming your weak body into a strong one."

Tang Xiaojiu, dissatisfied: "In the end, you're still telling me to eat those beasts!"

Liu Shi: "It's not about blindly eating. Even when eating those beasts, you need to distinguish which blood and meat can enhance your body and qi. Find the ones that are most effective and avoid those that are not. You need to understand this well."

Thus, Tang Xiaojiu began to try eating various beasts. He eventually discovered that the most effective for his body was the meat of the Mengmeng birds.

One day, by chance, Tang Xiaojiu caught a Mengmeng bird. He plucked its feathers and bit into its neck, swallowing the hot blood. Instantly, an unprecedented heat surged from his abdomen, spreading through his body. In a few breaths, his entire body felt like it was on fire, his head throbbing, his eyes bloodshot, and he let out a series of hysterical roars.

Liu Shi, excited in his mind palace, shouted, "Great, great, this is it, this is it!"

After eating the Mengmeng bird, Tang Xiaojiu found that his body had become more than twice as strong. Moreover, his eyes and ears began to change. His vision became sharper and his hearing more acute. The world became clearer to him, and he could even see the feathers of the Mengmeng birds in the sky and hear the rustling of the wind and grass.

These changes made him feel as if he had touched a new world, filling him with wonder. Liu Shi repeatedly instructed him to catch more Mengmeng birds. Then, Liu Shi fell silent, entering a state of dormancy.

Tang Xiaojiu never expected that eating a Mengmeng bird would bring such an incredible change. This change made him feel that the great supernatural powers Liu Shi spoke of might be possible. He became excited and wanted to eat more Mengmeng birds immediately. However, the Mengmeng birds were cruel and alert, and they moved in groups, making it difficult to catch them. Sometimes, he would encounter one or two stragglers, but once they realized they were being tricked, they would call out, attracting their companions, and Tang Xiaojiu nearly got torn apart by thousands of birds!

Today, he encountered a large, bull-like creature. He had planned to use it to attract the Mengmeng birds. He cut off a hind leg to eat and used the blood to attract the birds. Then, he squeezed the juice from the red fruit and covered the beast's body, waiting for the Mengmeng birds to become paralyzed and drag them back to his cave.

Unfortunately, three golden-haired birds appeared and carried the beast's body away. This meant that even if the birds were paralyzed, they would likely fall outside the valley, which Liu Shi had warned was dangerous. Seeing the meat fly away, Tang Xiaojiu was extremely frustrated!

The three golden-haired birds flew higher, followed by a cloud of Mengmeng birds. Tang Xiaojiu cursed, giving up. As he chewed the beast's meat, he suddenly thought of Lu Zheng, thinking, "Lu Zheng, Lu Zheng, why did you die? If you were still alive, even if you had to eat this disgusting raw meat like Brother Jiu, it would be better! No, if you came back, Brother Jiu would definitely not make you eat raw meat, at least he would cook it for you! Lu Zheng, come back to life!"

Thinking about this, his stomach cramped, and he spat out the remaining meat, cleaning his teeth with his fingers and spitting several times before feeling better.

At this moment, Liu Shi's voice echoed in his mind, "Tang Xiaojiu, the three golden-haired birds are paralyzed!"

Tang Xiaojiu looked up and saw the three golden-haired birds stiffen, maintaining their flying posture as they fell from the sky.

Liu Shi: "They will likely fall at the entrance of the valley."

Tang Xiaojiu: "Didn't you tell me not to leave the valley, not even to go to the entrance?"

Liu Shi: "I just want to tell you that these three golden-haired birds are likely a variant of the Mengmeng birds. Their meat will be more beneficial to you and can help you complete the body refinement process, saving you a lot of time. Whether to go or not is your decision."

Tang Xiaojiu was stunned, his eyes filled with a fierce and ruthless look. He threw away the half-eaten hind leg, cursed, "If you want me to risk my life, can you be more direct?" He gripped the black knife, crouched, and rushed towards where the three Mengmeng birds had fallen, turning into a black shadow!

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