Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chen Fan had sheathed his bone sword and stood on the ravaged battlefield. His body was covered in blood, some of his own, but most of it was from his enemies.

A shallow cut was made on his arm by the bone knife, the scales rolled up, revealing the dark red muscle underneath. But he didn't care at all, he just bent down to pick up a piece of bone armor that had been shaken off from the ground, wiped it off casually, and stuffed it into the animal skin pouch at his waist.

Bone fragments ground into powder and mixed into ointment have a remarkable effect on healing fractures.

"Come here." Tie Gu's voice was hoarse and deep.

Chen Fan stepped forward. Tie Gu looked him up and down a few times, and a smile gradually appeared on his rugged and fierce face.

"You saved my life." Tie Gu's voice was loud enough for all the soldiers around to hear clearly. "I misjudged you. You can not only heal wounds, but you can also kill."

The surrounding soldiers let out a burst of rough laughter.

Several soldiers who had witnessed Chen Fan killing enemies earlier pounded their chests and gave him a thumbs-up covered in scales, a way for the ancient demon race to express their respect.

That night, the Blackrock tribe lit a huge bonfire at the Bloodrock tribe's camp that they had occupied.

Flames shot skyward, turning the gray-yellow night sky orange-red. The soldiers sat around the campfire, drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat.

The Nether Beast was tied to the edge of the camp, lying lazily on the muddy ground, occasionally opening its big mouth to swallow a piece of meat that was thrown over.

The spoils of war were piled up into a small mountain, including bone armor, weapons, spirit stones, ores, and several jars of aged fruit wine that were taken from the stone tower of the Blood Rock Tribe chief.

The fruit wine was many times stronger than ordinary liquor. Several soldiers drank two bowls and began to stagger, which was ridiculed by their companions for a long time.

Chen Fan sat by the campfire, holding a bowl of turbid wine in his hand. He didn't drink it heartily like the other soldiers, but just sipped it slowly.

The liquor is rough and sour, with a burning sensation when it goes down the throat, but the aftertaste has a strange sweetness.

His Nether Beast lay sprawled on the muddy ground behind him. Ironbone had granted permission to bring this behemoth onto the battlefield as a war mount. At this moment, it was staring at the campfire with its murky eyes, seemingly lost in thought, occasionally letting out a low gurgling sound from deep within its throat.

At this moment, Tie Gu strode to the campfire, his waist wrapped with bandages personally bandaged by Chen Fan.

He raised the huge bowl in his hand, the wine gleaming with an amber luster in the firelight.

"Today's battle has been a resounding victory for the Blackrock Tribe!" Ironbone's voice boomed like a bell, making the campfire flames leap three times. "The Bloodrock Tribe's mines are ours! Their camp is ours! Their women..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and the surrounding soldiers erupted in a cacophony of howls and wailing. It was the custom of the ancient demon tribes' wars that the defeated side's camps, resources, women, and children all belonged to the victors; this was a rule etched into their very blood.

"Of course they're ours too!" Iron Bone laughed as he downed the wine in his bowl, then pointed at Chen Fan. "But the greatest contributor today isn't me, the clan leader, but him—that beast slave you all call the one who can heal wounds!"

All eyes around the campfire were on Chen Fan.

Flames danced on his scales, but his dark red ancient demon eyes remained calm as still water.

"He saved my life." Iron Bone's voice deepened, its tone less rough and more solemn than usual. "If it weren't for his sword strike, I would be meeting my ancestors today. From this day forward, he is no longer a beast slave; he is a warrior of my Black Rock tribe, a hero of the Black Rock tribe!"

The soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers.

Several burly men rushed up and forcefully slapped Chen Fan's shoulders and back. The force was so great that if his body had not reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, he would have been seriously injured.

Shi Chi was also in the crowd. His leg injury had long since healed, and he was grinning and gesturing something to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan vaguely recognized that it was a gesture unique to miners, meaning "powerful".

Tie Gu waved for silence, took another large gulp of wine, and continued, "According to the old rules, the spoils of war should be distributed to the brave warriors who have rendered meritorious service. Among the prisoners this time, the wife and daughter of the Blood Rock tribe chief are quite beautiful, so I'll bestow them all upon you!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and several Black Rock soldiers pushed two ancient demon women forward.

Those two women were indeed beautiful.

They were tall and slender, with smooth scales, and the curves of their foreheads were longer and more elegant than those of ordinary ancient demon women. They lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at Chen Fan, their bodies trembling slightly.

This was the first time they had stood before a campfire as prisoners, and they had no idea what awaited them.

The soldiers around the campfire stirred again, some even winking and gesturing at Chen Fan. Among the ancient demon race, capturing the most beautiful prisoners as slaves was one of the highest honors on the battlefield.

Chen Fan put down his wine bowl.

He stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Tiegu, and said in a calm tone, "I appreciate the clan leader's kindness. However, I'm used to the tranquility of the stone house, and I'm afraid there won't be enough room for two more people."

The commotion around the campfire abruptly stopped.

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Refusing? Refusing the clan leader's reward last time could be considered humility, but rewards on the battlefield are real honors; refusing them would be ungrateful.

Tie Gu stared at him for a long time, his dark red eyes revealing no emotion.

A moment later, he suddenly burst into laughter, the sound of which made the campfire roar.

"I knew you'd say that!" Iron Bone slammed the giant bowl onto the ground, the bottom embedding more than half an inch into the yellow earth. "Last time I offered you a female slave, and you refused; this time I offer you a woman, and you still refuse. What else can your stone head hold besides herbs and Netherworld Beasts?"

The surrounding soldiers then came to their senses and burst into good-natured laughter.

Chen Fan's eccentric temperament of not being interested in women was no secret in the Black Rock Tribe.

For two years, not a single female ancient demon has been able to step into his stone house.

"Alright, alright." Tie Gu waved his hand, his tone already carrying a hint of habitual helplessness: "Since you're only interested in herbs, then the Blood Rock Tribe's medicine storehouse is entirely yours. There are quite a few rare items inside, and the Blood Rock Tribe's territory also grows several kinds of spiritual herbs that the Black Rock Tribe doesn't have. I'll have someone move them over for you later."

Chen Fan bowed and thanked him.

Those herbs were indeed more valuable to him than beautiful women.

The bonfire party lasted until late at night.

The soldiers drank all the captured fruit wine, ate three whole roasted ibex, and sang several off-key war songs.

Someone got drunk and fell asleep by the campfire. His companions drew a crooked, grotesque face on his face with charcoal ash. When he woke up, they chased him all over the camp.

Some people, emboldened by alcohol, confessed their feelings to the female ancient demon they admired, only to be slapped into a swamp of Netherworld Beasts.

Even Tiegu, after drinking his tenth bowl of fruit wine, belted out an ancient sacrificial song.

The melody was mournful and powerful, creating a strange contrast with the ancient demons fighting bloody battles on the battlefield.

Chen Fan sat by the campfire, quietly watching everything unfold.

The firelight danced on those rugged, fierce faces, making their scales flicker.

These ancient demons may seem crude, cruel, and bloodthirsty, but as they gather around the campfire to drink and sing, they feel real and approachable.

Chen Fan picked up the wine bowl and drank the last mouthful of turbid wine.

The liquor was rough and sour, just like when I first drank it two years ago; it wasn't exactly delicious.

But this time, he tasted more than just the flavor of alcohol.