Life settled into a peaceful rhythm.
Aside from daily living and training, the tribespeople often hunted for large game.
Among the piles of stone at the foot of the volcano, they set up a large cauldron.
After scraping the fur and cleaning the hunted beasts, they tossed them in to stew. A rich aroma immediately drifted in all directions, wafting across the volcano and the green fields.
The dragons caught the scent and began salivating.
The tribespeople added seasonings, and once the meat was thoroughly stewed, they arranged a stone altar to present a cooked sacrificial offering to the Dragon God.
The Dragon God did not respond.
After chanting a series of prayers and praises, the tribespeople scooped the meat from the cauldron and distributed it among the dragons.
The dragons glanced at their Dragon God, and seeing that he had no objections, happily dug in, indulging themselves to satisfy their appetites.
Dragons differed from ordinary beasts; they possessed a palate for fine flavor and could appreciate all manner of delicacies.
Therefore, they were delighted by the meat offered by the tribespeople, counting it as one of their few pleasures amid the Dragon God's dull and exhausting training.
Naturally, some dragons remained reserved, merely gazing leisurely at the tribespeople without moving to accept.
The Red Dragon, however, desperately wanted to eat, but seeing that it lay right beside its Dragon God and the Dragon God hadn't responded, it was too embarrassed to go.
Seeing its pitiful look, Haoyuan couldn't resist flicking it with a dragon whisker.
With a slight flick of his gaze, the Red Dragon's aggrieved eyes instantly lit up. Its expression turned to sheer delight as it leisurely slithered down to drink broth and gobble meat, sporting a blissfully content look.
Seeing that their Dragon God had permitted it, the remaining reserved dragons followed suit, leisurely slithering down to join the feast.
“What a bunch of gluttons...”
Haoyuan smiled and shook his head.
He didn't really mind. If they wanted to do it, they could do it; if they wanted to eat, they could eat. He would just treat them as having gained some tribespeople as neighbors.
Why constrain their freedom?
Then again, he hadn't tasted delicacies in a very long time himself. The memories of eating stir-fries and human cuisine from his previous life were already quite distant; the sensations dancing upon his taste buds had long faded into a blur.
Ever since his rebirth, he had lived every day hunting, killing, and growing. Fearing that cooking meat would diminish its energy intake, he had continuously suppressed his desire for good food.
Looking back now, he truly hadn't enjoyed life enough.
Pondering slightly, he brought up his panel.
Stored within was a vast reservoir of energy, obtained sixty million years ago when he evolved Aerial Flight and swept across two continents.
Back then, he had only evolved Mimicry, and before he could spend the massive amount of energy, he had been struck into the volcanic magma by that colossal entity in the sky.
As a result, it had remained preserved until now.
“Back then, because I transmigrated into a womb, I got used to a primitive life of eating raw meat and drinking blood. I never even thought about absorbing the energy lost during cooking.”
Haoyuan sighed.
“My thinking was far too restricted...”
“Energy shouldn't be used solely for slaying enemies; it should also make daily life and travel more convenient.”
“Only then can one achieve true, boundless freedom.”
He suddenly remembered that aside from living forever and gazing down upon the changes of the cosmos, he also possessed an ideal of absolute freedom.
Spending every day fighting and killing had made him forget all about it, which was truly improper.
“Longevity and everlasting vision bring ultimate freedom; this must never be forgotten.”
He lamented, then turned his gaze back to his panel.
Evolutionary Path: Consuming Qi (???)
Any qi dissipated and lost from living beings may be consumed.
In plain speech, it meant he could absorb energy drifting in the air.
This wasn't absorbing human essence, although Consuming Qi was certainly capable of that.
In any case, what Haoyuan had in mind was that after incinerating a creature with fire, all the qi produced could be devoured.
In short, all the energy swallowed by fire would belong to him.
It would appear as though the flames were feeding, but in reality, he was the one feasting.
If soul energy existed, he would consume that as well.
Haoyuan simply didn't know whether souls actually existed in this world.
“Huh? Why does it consume so much energy? Could souls actually exist?”
Haoyuan watched in astonishment as the energy he had stockpiled before his long slumber drained away rapidly, feeling a strange twinge of heartache.
Wait, I just woke up and I'm already spending this much?
Leave some for me!
Haoyuan sighed, but ultimately let it go.
“Still, being able to eat cooked meat is a good thing.”
Haoyuan cheered up, leisurely enjoying the breeze.
He still remembered what the Red Dragon had told him: that in West Ridge, there were bats whose meat could prolong life.
When the time came, he would prepare plenty of seasonings and feast with gusto.
As for the remainder of this vast energy, he would save it for now and see what he needed in the future.
Upon this awakening, he discovered that many of the shackles imposed by Life Tiers had vanished.
He could gain massive physical growth through brief slumbers.
Therefore, storing energy had become important; he could no longer squander it as casually as before.
“Hmm... let's increase the radiation intensity.”
Looking down at the dragons drinking broth and eating meat—their strength uneven—Haoyuan thought it was best to quickly raise their power.
“Only then can they be of real help to me.”
Exhaling, he leisurely reclined over the crater. His long tail stirred the magma, scooping up a bright, fiery glob and tossing it into his mouth. He chewed it twice and swallowed.
It tasted just like charcoal ash, virtually flavorless.
After several rounds of sacrificial offerings, the tribespeople grew increasingly close with the dragons.
Looking at the satisfied, blissful expressions of the dragons, Yan Shou smiled at Si He. “The Chieftainess was right. The Dragon God was indeed testing us.”
Hearing this, everyone's eyes brightened with smiles, looking eagerly toward the Chieftainess.
Initially, because the Dragon God had not responded, they had been disheartened and felt that the future was bleak and uncertain.
Yet Si He had stepped forward and firmly told them that the Dragon God was merely observing and testing them. If they gave in to despair so easily, they certainly wouldn't earn his protection.
Only those of steadfast character would gain his favor.
Because Si He was wise and held immense prestige as the Chieftainess, everyone believed her without a second thought and settled down according to her guidance.
To their delight, the Dragon God truly did not mind, allowing them to settle down peacefully, live well, and absorb spiritual energy for cultivation.
Noticing everyone's fervent gazes, Si He felt a faint, barely perceptible blush on her cheeks—not out of shyness, but out of embarrassment.
The tribespeople had endured too many hardships over the past year, and she simply could not bear to crush their spirits again.
Though the Dragon God had not answered, he had a gentle disposition and would most likely tolerate them living here.
She had merely intended to take a gamble, never expecting the Dragon God would truly permit it.
Because of this, the tribe had regained hope.
Everything was developing in a positive direction.
Life was gradually looking up.
This was for the best.
Looking at the carefree, scattered dragons in the distance, envy flashed in Si He's eyes. Turning to the others, she said, “The regular offerings must not cease. Although Lord Dragon God has not replied, we must still treat him with the rites due to a deity, without the slightest neglect.”
“Furthermore, our training must not slacken. If Lord Dragon God requires our aid and we fail to provide it, that would be a grave sin.”
Following this, Si He's prestige grew even higher. Naturally, everyone agreed without exception and took everything to heart.
Thus, in their spare time, Haoyuan and the dragons would leisurely watch the tribespeople cultivate.
As the dragons watched, they liked to huddle together and sway with the wind, looking thoroughly relaxed and carefree.
Seeing this, Haoyuan couldn't help but grin. “I wonder who they learned that from?”
As if hearing him, the dragons raised their heads one after another and looked right at him.
“...”
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