Chapter 5: Lifting the Cauldron

Time always seems to pass unnoticed, and in a blink of an eye, two years had gone by. The little one was now three and a half years old and had his own name, Shi Hao.

When he was just over a year old, he could only follow behind the older children, but now at three and a half, his physique was astonishingly strong. He often roamed around with a group of big kids.

At this moment, the empty ground in Shi Village was surrounded by people, completely packed. The men, women, and children of the village were watching the boys practice martial arts.

A group of children with muscular builds, bare upper bodies, and sweat flying everywhere were paired off and sparring. Some could even swing a copper hammer weighing over a hundred pounds, creating a whistling wind.

They ranged from six or seven to twelve or thirteen years old, each resembling a small fierce beast from the mountains and forests, with boundless strength and impressively robust bodies.

"Look, that's my kid, only six years old, but he can use a hundred-pound green stone as a shield. How many can compare? He'll definitely become an extraordinary hero in the wilds."

"My kid is even better. Look, he can fully draw the rhinoceros tendon bow that only adults can pull. In the future, he'll surely be able to shoot down powerful fierce creatures with one arrow."

Although the villagers were simple people, when they gathered together, they enjoyed boasting about how impressive their children were. After comparing their children, some robust men clenched their fan-like hands into fists, swinging them enthusiastically, their faces beaming with pride.

The women of the village also couldn't stop smiling. These children were indeed outstanding, each one full of vitality and strength. The future of Shi Village would surely be strengthened because of them.

"Moo—"

The roar of a wild bull shook the village.

"Look, Er Meng is only eight and a half, but he managed to flip a wild bull. Amazing!"

In the field, a dark blue wild bull, shining like satin, let out a thunderous roar. But just as it went berserk, it was forcefully toppled by a not-so-tall child, causing an uproar of astonishment.

"It was worth the effort. Every now and then, the elders give them true beast blood and bone-strengthening medicines to temper their bodies, which has proven to be very effective."

"These kids are all very strong. In the future, some might really become great heroes who make the powerful ancient creatures in the depths of the mountains flee in panic."

With a loud "thud," a very skinny child threw a stone millstone, sending it flying more than ten meters away.

"Wow, Pi Hou is only seven years old, but he has such great strength despite his lean appearance. Truly, you can't judge a person by their looks."

"Of course, he is my offspring. I named him Shi Zhonghou, and he is destined to leave the mountains, to be a marquis or king in the prosperous major tribes."

The adult men bragged to each other, all feeling their children were extraordinary.

"Boom!"

The ground trembled, and dust rose. Everyone's attention was drawn to the center of the field where someone was about to lift a cauldron.

In the center of the open space was a bronze cauldron weighing a thousand pounds, adorned with patterns of birds and beasts, exuding an ancient aura. The cauldron wall was thick and had a heavy, imposing feel. The legs of the cauldron were very smooth, polished like mirrors due to frequent handling, and were inscribed with the image of a Vermilion Bird.

"Little Shi Jiao can't do it. He almost strained his back just now, barely lifting the cauldron off the ground. You're too young, you won't be able to lift it for another four years," an adult teased.

The thousand-pound bronze cauldron was not to be handled carelessly, as it could cause injury. Regular children couldn't lift it, and normally, they weren't allowed near it due to its weight.

"Let me try."

A very strong child, about twelve or thirteen years old, stepped forward. He grasped one of the cauldron's ears and one of its legs with both hands, exerting all his strength. The cauldron was lifted off the ground but then fell back with a crash, raising a cloud of dust.

He clearly failed, but fortunately, the child wasn't injured.

"I'll give it a try."

Another child stepped forward. He was the one who had just toppled the wild bull. His name was Shi Meng, and he was the second in his family, nicknamed Er Meng. He was indeed very robust and sturdy, despite being only eight and a half years old.

With a "buzz," the bronze cauldron left the ground, being gradually lifted into the air by him, astonishing everyone. After all, he was just a child and had already achieved this, which was truly amazing.

"Boom!"

Unfortunately, he couldn't lift it over his head. His arms trembled, and with a crash, he threw the cauldron away, creating a pit in the ground, with sand flying everywhere.

After someone took the lead, other children were eager to try. One by one, they stepped forward to challenge the cauldron, but none succeeded.

Until a tall child with thick eyebrows stepped forward. His name was Shi Dazhuang. He took a deep breath, grasped one of the cauldron's ears and a leg, and with great effort, lifted it over his head.

His arms trembled slightly, and his legs wobbled, but he succeeded, astonishing the adults, because he was only nine years old, showing innate divine strength.

"Good job, Dazhuang! You will definitely achieve great things in the future!"

"He's just a nine-year-old kid. I don't think anyone within a few thousand miles can compare with him. He will undoubtedly become one of the strongest in this region."

The adults naturally didn't hold back their praise, and they also encouraged and praised Er Meng, who almost succeeded, for his incredible strength.

Several elders smiled, feeling that their efforts over the years had paid off. The frequent use of true beast blood to temper these children's bodies was now showing results. The future of Shi Village would surely see some powerful individuals emerge.

"Little one, are you curious to try?" an adult joked.

In the crowd, a small figure curiously peeked out. It was the little one, now named Shi Hao. He was very small and had to stand on tiptoe to see the older children lifting the cauldron.

"Yes, they say Xiao Haohao has amazing strength. Although he's younger, let him try. But first, let's have him lift a stone lock."

Someone nodded, "My child says Xiao Haohao's strength is no less than theirs. I didn't believe it, but now we can see for ourselves. Little one, come and try."

Shi Hao, now three and a half, had jet-black hair hanging to his shoulders, big bright eyes, and a fair and delicate appearance, making him look very cute.

Little Shi Hao looked at the elders, who all smiled. Shi Yunfeng said, "Go ahead. I also want to see how strong you are now."

"Yah hey!" Shi Hao, being small, made a childish sound when exerting force, but he easily lifted a large stone roller.

"Impressive," people nodded in approval.

Then, he picked up a stone millstone and threw it with a swoosh. The heavy stone flew like an ordinary pebble, landing seventy or eighty meters away.

With a loud crash, the millstone hit the ground, creating a large pit, sand and stones flying, and dust rising. The ground shook violently.

Everyone was speechless in shock.

Next, the little one suddenly ran towards the dark blue wild bull, quickly exerting force, grabbing one of its horns, and directly toppling it to the ground.

Although he used skill, it was enough to show his incredible strength. The scene was filled with gasps of surprise, as the villagers felt like they were seeing a little fierce beast in action, shocking their senses.

It's important to note that little Shi Hao was still very young, the shortest among the group, looking like a porcelain doll, making it hard to associate him with such strength.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Shi Hao walked towards the large cauldron. Due to his height, he couldn't reach the cauldron's ears. He squatted down and lifted the bottom of the cauldron. With a mighty effort, the bronze cauldron left the ground with a rumble and was raised above his head.

Everyone was stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing. A mere three-and-a-half-year-old child could lift a thousand-pound cauldron—this was simply astounding.

What was this? It was as if he were a child of a Golden-Winged Roc or a pureblood descendant of a Pixiu King. Little Shi Hao was comparable to the offspring of an actual primordial fierce beast.