Chapter 2: The Furnace of Fortune
Master, please have your meal
Alienation pollution level + 0.001%
However, in this case, the middle-aged woman and the young girl would definitely not be mother and daughter.
How harsh the conditions for survival in this world must be, yet considering that my current level of alienation pollution is already at 35%, does this not imply that the corpse of this alien grass is purer than I am
Next, it was the turn of the beast-hide giant and the robed youth. Both of them also had a large bowl each, and it was evident that they were still hungry, but there was not much food left in the pot
Age: 14 years old
Thank you, senior brother, Li Si said softly. He had not expected this level of seniority, but the previous piglet, mountain boy, and even that middle-aged woman all referred to this beast-skin giant as senior brother, so it was certainly correct for him to follow suit.
When Li Si returned to the stone house carrying a bundle of firewood, the two boys surprisingly came back as well, each carrying some decayed wood, which they must have picked up from the ruins of the house
Thinking of this, Li Si felt somewhat at ease, after all, it is good to have the support of a large tree, even though this large tree is nearly dead
Taoist Technique: Exorcism Spell, Description: Consumes one-tenth of the current mana, capable of forming an exorcism aura that lasts for the duration of one incense stick. This technique can also be used to create exorcism talismans
Identity: Outer disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect
Obtained adult alien grass residue, alienation pollution level 19%, edible
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Fate: Gray Fate × 1, Description: Every individual, from the moment of birth, carries a portion of black fate, which will gradually be consumed as they age. One hundred portions of gray fate can be combined to form one portion of black fate, and one hundred portions of black fate can be combined to form one portion of white fate
As he spoke, the burly man drew out a dagger and scraped at the remnants of the strange herb, first removing the black substance from the surface, then chopping it into fist-sized pieces. He took one-third of it and tossed it into the pot over the fire. It seemed that this was to prepare dinner
Name: Li Si
Due to the presence of the bonfire, the light in the stone house was relatively bright. As Li Si set down the firewood, the large man with the beast skin suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise, stepped forward to take the remaining shed of the strange herb, and then lowered his voice to laugh.
As he pushed the door open and entered the stone house, he immediately felt a warm current rush towards him, and the persistent chill that had clung to him like a parasite swiftly dissipated. Undoubtedly, this was related to the three talismans affixed at the entrance.
Maximum lifespan: 34 years (theoretical)
This scene frightened Li Si greatly, fearing that others might see him, but as soon as he relaxed his guard, the shadow of the furnace disappeared
There was no communication among the three, nor could one speak of any hostility; it gave Li Si the impression of numb indifference
The burly man grumbled while holding a large bowl, calling everyone over. Regardless of size, each person received a ladleful. However, when it was Li Si's turn, he chuckled and gave him two extra ladlefuls.
Thus, it is evident how unfortunate Li Si's luck is
Dao Method: Returning to the Heavens Scripture, First Layer, Explanation, This world has already been polluted by the power of the evil gods, and there is no spiritual energy available for cultivation.
Next, he dared not linger in place, quickly picking up the firewood on the ground, intending to leave swiftly. However, due to the dim light, in his haste, he also grabbed the charred strange grass. In the next moment, another line of information lit up.
Moreover, that white-haired old lady might actually be my master, sigh, this surprise is a bit overwhelming
Li Si still thought there would be some kind of reward, but who would have thought it would be merely a verbal commendation. At this moment, feeling guilty, he meekly imitated the other two boys, bowed slightly, and then retreated back to his original position, maintaining a very low profile throughout. Only that little girl flashed him a smile.
Grandma, there is not enough to eat
The result seemed to trigger something, and in the next moment, as a faint light illuminated, an ancient-looking furnace, shrouded in a sky-blue glow, appeared before him
It is too damaging to one's self-esteem
Bloodline evolution degree: 12%, indicating that it is already able to exempt a portion of the erosion from strange powers
I never expected that I would still be a practitioner, but unfortunately, this world has no spiritual energy left
Dissimilation pollution level: 35.102%, indicating that the higher the dissimilation pollution level, the shorter the lifespan, and reaching 100% will result in immediate death
Inside this stone house, the dominant figures are clearly the burly man clad in animal skins and the young man in a robe. However, there is also an elderly woman with white hair, her age indeterminate, wrapped in a tattered cotton quilt, leaning by the fire, appearing to be in a state between sleep and wakefulness.
The food cooked by the leather master is black and gooey, constantly emitting a foul odor, which easily evokes unpleasant associations
Finally, he took out a large bowl, filled it, and respectfully presented it in front of the white-haired old lady
At this moment, Li Si had no choice; he closed his eyes and gulped it down. The foul stench almost made him think he was consuming dead pigs and dogs
Magic Power: 0 / 100 (Consume one portion of gray fortune to continuously restore 1000 points of magic power for the duration of an incense stick)
The last two, however, were children only six or seven years old. They sat there honestly, their eyes fixed on the bubbling pot, looking utterly famished
Not bad, not bad, dinner is settled, Dog Boy, you are quite lucky
This ... ...
Mana recovery of 30 points
In an instant, he wanted to take a closer look, and as a result, the azure furnace suddenly disintegrated, transforming into an ancient and tattered scroll, with lines of information flowing across it.
Thus, Li Si felt somewhat relieved. At that moment, he saw a mass of gray substance in the furnace, so this is what is referred to as gray firewood.
Then there was a middle-aged woman, dressed in equally tattered and shabby clothes. She sat behind the elderly lady, and her relationship with the little girl resembled that of a mother and daughter.
After reading this information, Li Si felt a stir in his heart, and the illusion of the fragmented scroll before him vanished once again
At this moment, the white-haired old lady finally opened her eyes, remaining silent as she devoured her food with great speed, finishing one bowl after another. It was not enough for her, and she ate three large bowls in one go before finally letting out a satisfied burp
"Dog brat, this is your reward. The rules of our Floating Cloud Sect are the fairest."
With a self-deprecating smile, he immediately recalled that little girl referring to him as "Dogzi Shixiong," and thus he understood broadly that they were indeed not refugees, but rather a sect of practitioners fleeing from disaster
The young man in the robe on the opposite side glanced at Li Si and calmly said: "This type of strange herb, although it is the lowest grade of evil object, it is still quite difficult for you to remain unaffected and to turn it against itself. Go ahead."
Unexpectedly, this object produced a faint flow of heat in the lower abdomen, accompanied by two pieces of information that flashed by.
In his doubts, the food in the pot seemed to be finally cooked, yet the foul odor remained strong. Meanwhile, the burly man continued to take various items from a cloth bag, occasionally tasting with a wooden spoon. Judging by his expression, he appeared quite content.
Leaning against the wall, Li Si first unscrewed the tip of the Demon-Slaying Spear and carefully placed it into a leather bag. Then, like a quail, he reduced his presence while continuing to observe the others in the stone house.
With the emergence of this message, a small flame seemed to ignite in Li Si's heart, warm and compelling him to focus his mind.
The beastly man and the robed youth should be their master or perhaps a senior disciple, but judging by their appearance, they seem to possess a certain level of cultivation; otherwise, how could this desolate village withstand the invasion of the black mist, and how could there be those three talismans on the door of the stone house
Thus, he ultimately could not bring himself to discard this at least ten-pound strange herb residue. Regardless of the circumstances, as long as it is edible, that is sufficient; he was truly so hungry that his stomach was pressing against his back.
Thus, Li Si began to doubt again, do cultivators also struggle this much? If he had not killed that strange herb earlier, what would they eat tonight?
Dao Technique: Demon Slaying Needle, Description: Consumes one-tenth of the user's current mana, capable of attacking any evil entity within ten steps, and can also be enchanted onto objects.
Concentrating once more, the furnace reappeared. He attempted to touch it with his hand, but found nothing to grasp. It turned out to be merely an illusion, perhaps visible only to himself
Li Si was taken aback; the pollution level had reached 19%, and it was still deemed edible