Chapter 30 Lava Cave
Chen Qiuluo and Chen Gan'er were in charge of leading the people to the island to plant crops, while Chen Huaigu and Chen Xuanlin were preparing for the sacrificial offerings.
After their last landing on an uninhabited island, Chen Xuanlin had established a new clan rule:
after each landing, a portion of the harvest would be offered as an offering to the Chen clan's stone sacrificial spirit, thanking it for its protection.
When Chen Qiuluo, Chen Gan'er, and the others finished their work and returned to Chen Village, covered in dust, the altar and offerings were already prepared.
This time, the offerings consisted of rare fruits and crops brought back from Tingquan Island. Many of these fruits were unprecedented in the lives of the Sanyin Islanders, and their fragrant aroma could be smelled from afar, making them mouth-watering.
Even for the resource-scarce Sanyin Chen clan, no one considered wasteful.
The sacrificial offerings began.
Chen Xuanlin, once again, stood at the front, followed by Chen Gan'er, Chen Qiuluo, and Chen Huaigu, three other Chen clan elders.
Further back came the rest of the Chen clan, dusty and grimy, having just returned from a busy day in the fields. Many of the men were even shirtless.
Although it was a ritual, the chaotic gathering and simple rituals made it seem less solemn than one might imagine. However, each person's gaze towards the stone offering spirit was reverent.
"This time, the fog cleared and the landing was smooth. The Chen clan members are safe and have a bountiful harvest.
We offer this sacrifice to the spirit of our clan..." Chen Xuanlin, once again leading the way, recited a few words and led the Chen clan members of Sanyin Island in three bows to the offering spirit, completing the ritual.
Zhou Yi, who kept a close eye on the Chen clan, naturally noticed the commotion outside.
He was also pleased to observe the monthly offering ceremony after the landing.
Firstly, he felt a surge of faith during each ceremony.
Secondly, the shared faith of the Chen clan further aided their development and allowed him to explore his inner doubts.
Zhou Yi, just as he was looking for an opportunity to bestow the Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone, suddenly thought, and a fist-sized white stone appeared out of thin air.
Though white, the moment the stone appeared in the air, the temperature around it suddenly rose dramatically. The Chen clan members who were closest to it even began to perspire uncontrollably.
Chen Xuanlin and the rest of the Chen clan were stunned.
"This is... the sacrificial spirit has manifested again."
"What is this thing? It's so blazing."
...
Bestowing an object is not like bestowing a cultivation technique.
A cultivation technique can directly enter the minds of believers, but bestowing an object requires explaining its purpose to everyone.
Fortunately, the Dead Sea Communicating Stele was there, otherwise Zhou Yi, now mute, would have been terribly anxious.
Under Zhou Yi's control, the Dead Sea Communicating Stele displayed information about the Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone.
He added, "The Chen clan sacrificial spirit constantly protects the Chen clan."
Upon learning that the gift was a gift from the sacrificial spirit, every member of the Chen clan present fell to their knees, exclaiming, "Thank you, Lord Sacrificial Spirit, for this gift."
The most excited of them all was Chen Gan'er.
The spiritual energy created by the spiritual spring and the spiritual stone was not only scarce, but also water-based, which had somewhat disappointed him.
Unexpectedly, during this sacrificial offering to the sacrificial spirit, the sacrificial spirit bestowed upon him the Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone, which produced fire-based spiritual energy.
Chen Gan'er saw this as a sign that the Lord Sacrificial Spirit had heard his heart and shown him special care.
Therefore, when expressing gratitude for the Lord Sacrificial Spirit's blessing, Chen Gan'er was the loudest.
While the other Chen clan members merely bowed three times, Chen Gan'er kowtowed over ten times before stopping.
This act of Chen Gan'er's attracted the attention of the other clan members, who were puzzled as to what had become of their elder Gan'er.
Only Chen Xuanlin and the other two Chen clan elders could vaguely understand Chen Gan'er's excitement.
A Mother Spirit Stone that endlessly generates spiritual energy is an unimaginably precious item for the Dead Sea Islands. If the Connecting Island were to learn of this Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone, they would desperately fight for it.
Furthermore, this Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone, capable of generating fire-type spiritual energy, made it even more precious to Chen Gan'er.
The Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone's temperature was like red-hot iron, making it difficult for others to approach. Even Chen Gan'er, a cultivator of fire-type spiritual energy, dared not take it directly with his hands. Chen Xuanlin had to accept it in his storage gourd.
Cultivation is a matter of urgency, requiring no time to lose.
After thanking the offering spirits, the clan elders discussed a location for the Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone.
They ultimately decided on a small cave nestled among rubble not far from Chenjia Village.
This place was originally used to shelter the elderly and weak when fighting broke out on Sanyin Island. It is as remote and quiet as the spiritual spring, and not easily disturbed.
The cave was surrounded by basalt, perfectly meeting the requirements for lava formation.
Chen Xuanlin wiped the mouth of his storage gourd, and the Flame Sun Mother Spirit Stone fell onto a patch of basalt on the ground.
The moment the Mother Spirit Stone touched the basalt, a puff of white smoke erupted, and the temperature soared. Even Chen Xuanlin could not withstand the intense heat and retreated from the cave.
When the smoke dissipated and the group re-entered the cave, they found that a large chunk of the basalt had melted, revealing a three-foot-square lava pit.
The basalt within had transformed into a pool of scalding magma, illuminating the entire cave a crimson red.
Although the magma wasn't flowing, the scorching heat was palpable just from standing inside. The entire cave resembled a massive furnace, making it impossible for an ordinary person to remain there for long.
More importantly, this lava constantly emanated a fiery spiritual energy.
Chen Ganer and Chen Xuanlin both showed joy on their faces. They naturally knew the importance of this lava best. Although this lava could only last for half a year, a lot of spirit stones could be saved in this half year alone.
For the islands, which are short on spirit stones, this was unimaginable.
When Chen Gan'er saw the spiritual spring on Tingquan Island, he'd have lied if he hadn't envied it. He'd never imagined his own island would now have something that produced spiritual energy.
Chen Xuanlin sighed,
"It's actually lava, and the spiritual energy is so pure! The Lord Sacrifice Spirit is truly mysterious."
Chen Gan'er was eager to sit down and practice, but he held back, saying,
"Of course! How could he not be mysterious and become the Chen clan's sacrificial spirit? The sacrificial spirits of ancient times were like gods. It's a shame that the islands today probably don't even know what sacrificial spirits are."
Chen Gan'er had become Zhou Yi's biggest fan.
Chen Qiuluo stroked his beard and said,
"As the clan declined, the sacrificial spirits naturally declined as well."
"The sacrificial spirits once bestowed gifts, but those were offerings from the clan members, which the sacrificial spirits accepted and then bestowed. Could this spiritual object, which forms lava, also be an offering from the clan members, and has been treasured by the sacrificial spirit until now?"
Chen Gan'er waved his hand and said,
"What's recorded in the book happened who knows how many years ago. Why was the sacrificial spirit once called the spirit of heaven and earth? It's because it has unknowable power and can help the family prosper."
"As for the source of the gift, why bother so much? Since the sacrificial spirit has given me a gift, it's a good thing. I will stay here from now on and will not return to the village. If you want to find me, come here."
Chen Xuanlin shook his head helplessly and said,
"Stay here if you want. It just so happens that the magic skills attached to your skills can also be studied with the spiritual energy here."
Chen Gan'er took out the spirit stone in his arms and handed it to Chen Xuanlin, saying seriously,
"Brother Xuanlin, now that we have this lava spirit cave, I don't need these spirit stones anymore. Leave them for the younger generation to use in the future."
"But my brother, please remember that the spiritual energy contained in these spirit stones is far less than the spiritual energy contained in the spirit stones carried by the corpses floating in the Sea of Death. If any of our descendants need to draw spiritual energy into their bodies, one spirit stone will definitely not be enough."
As the only cultivator on Sanyin Island to draw energy into their bodies independently, Chen Gan'er naturally had a say in this matter.
Chen Xuanlin nodded to indicate that he had taken note. After accepting the spirit stones, he left with Chen Huaigu, Chen Xingluo, and the others.