After bidding farewell to Yu Longyan and Shang Tang, Lin Zhan conveyed the agreed-upon decisions to everyone. He also instructed Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran to accompany him and Hua Shijiu back to the Human Royal Court the next day. Lin Zhan intended for the two of them to assist Hua Shijiu in establishing the alchemical workshop before their return.
That evening, after a boisterous feast, Hua Shijiu officially joined the Huaxia Battle Team. The two best ways for men to forge friendships were on the battlefield and at the drinking table. As they were all sons of Huaxia, sharing common goals and harboring deep animosity towards the myriad races, Hua Shijiu quickly became like a brother to everyone after that night of drinking.
The next morning, a bleary-eyed Lin Zhan found the three of them. "Are you all ready? We're off."
As someone from a hereditary medical family, Hua Shijiu immediately recognized the cause of Lin Zhan's condition. "Brother, what were you up to last night? You drank quite a bit. Did you sneak off to eat something behind our backs again to tire out your tongue like this?"
Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran exchanged mischievous glances. "Nineteen, you don't know. Our big brother has this habit. When he drinks too much, he loves to lick plates. He must have spent the whole night licking plates again, that's why he's so tired." They continued to laugh, ignoring Lin Zhan's murderous glare.
Hua Shijiu took out his silver needles, shaking his head. "Brother, this is a habitual ailment, but it's not hard to treat. More importantly, there's no significant harm if it's left untreated. Let me give you some acupuncture first to fix your tongue." As he spoke, Hua Shijiu swiftly inserted ten silver needles into points on Lin Zhan's cheeks, tongue, and corners of his mouth. "Brother, just sit still for a few minutes. You won't feel anything from these points, and it'll be fine in a few minutes."
While Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran were laughing until tears streamed down their faces, Hua Shijiu acted. In an instant, he removed all the silver needles from Lin Zhan's face. Lin Zhan looked at the removed needles and said, "Alright, brother. You're a miracle doctor. This is truly 'returning the dead to life,' isn't it?"
Zhang Haoran chuckled, "Nineteen is not only a miracle doctor, but he also specializes in difficult and complicated cases. Now, Old Lin, you can lick to your heart's content without worrying about your tongue not working properly the next day."
Seeing the two unseemly simpletons, Lin Zhan pulled them to an open space. "Brothers, I'll show you something exciting. Help me test it out." After ensuring they were standing steady, Lin Zhan stepped back a few paces. "Overlord Saber."
Instantly, the Lin family's Overlord Saber detached itself and formed a shadowy blade over twenty meters long in the air, striking down at the two. That's right, Lin Zhan controlled the Overlord Saber and used its flat side to slap them. Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran's clothes instantly shredded, and they were driven deep into the earth.
At the Human Royal Court, Xuan Shang led Lin Zhan, Hua Shijiu, and the tattered, simple-minded duo to the valley where the Shennong clan resided. A young man in animal skins led them into the valley. Lin Zhan looked around in shock at the Shennong tribesmen dressed in animal skins, their appearance reminiscent of the valley era.
"Good heavens, there are only a little over three thousand people in the Shennong clan, how are they all so formidable? Those old men must all be at the Emperor level, there must be dozens at the King level, and over two hundred quasi-kings. With this strength, I could directly attack the dens of the myriad races."
An old man at the forefront of the Shennong clan seemed to have read Lin Zhan's thoughts and chuckled, saying, "Child, you're overthinking it. Our Shennong clan is divided into the Warrior clan and the Medicine clan. Most of the Warrior clan members are in slumber, except for a few young ones at the King level. The tribesmen I'm leading are mostly from the Medicine clan."
"Although our Medicine clan has high levels, our combat strength is not great. In the past, our ancestor Shennong tasted all the herbs and taught the people medicine, inventing slash-and-burn agriculture. After that, he left us the heritage of the Medicine clan. Otherwise, where do you think the pills used by the Human Emperors in the Royal Court come from?"
Lin Zhan looked at the kindly old man and said somewhat sheepishly, "I beg your pardon, senior. This junior is solely focused on fighting these days, and my mind gets muddled. I tend to want to recruit anyone with great strength for battle."
The old man led Lin Zhan and the others, saying, "Child, you don't need to blame yourself. How can the sons of Huaxia be afraid of battle? The myriad races are merely prey for the bow and food for the cauldron. However, you must not be negligent; keep your bows taut and your axes sharp, and face them with all your might."
Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran, following behind, exchanged a shocked glance. "Holy cow, what generation ancestor is this old man? He's truly formidable. How many hidden big shots does Huaxia have, to treat the myriad races as prey?"
The old man looked at Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran, who were exchanging glances, and smiled kindly. "Don't be surprised, two young ones. Although the myriad races are coming aggressively, they cannot shake the foundation of Huaxia. They are good for you children to temper yourselves. You must seize this opportunity to hone yourselves and learn your skills."
Then, the old man said to a girl beside him, "Ling Cao, go quickly and find two sets of clothes for these two children. Ah, it's been tough on these two children, still wearing such tattered clothes." Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran, seeing their clothes torn to shreds by Lin Zhan, puffed out their chests proudly in front of everyone, including the young girl, showing no sign of embarrassment.
The old man led Lin Zhan and his group to a wooden house deep in the valley. They looked at the serene and peaceful scenery before them, and their moods gradually calmed. Ying Xuan and Zhang Haoran sat down by themselves, entering a state of enlightenment.
Seeing Lin Zhan's curious gaze, the old man explained, "These two silly children have received the great inheritance from our Human ancestors. Our Shennong Valley was originally a segment of spiritual脉 intercepted by our ancestor in ancient times, naturally carrying a trace of the Great Dao's resonance from the primordial era. It's their fortune to be able to break through with this."
While the old man and Lin Zhan were chatting, Ling Cao arrived with another girl, carrying two sets of animal skin clothes. "Grandpa, why are those two silly boys sitting there? Do they need to be called to change?"
The other girl, her voice like a oriole, chuckled, "Grandpa, the food is ready. Let's go eat first." The old man nodded. "Ling Cao, just place the clothes by these two children. We'll go eat first. We'll prepare some food for these silly children after they wake up." "Come, children, taste the food of our Shennong clan," the old man said to Lin Zhan and Hua Shijiu.