This Dao Ancestor is too young.

boom!

The eyes of everyone in the room followed the movement of the head.

Shock, fear, hatred, and even pleasure... a mix of emotions flowed through him.

"It's the Green Snake Chieftain! I've seen him before!"

"It was he who led the bandits to attack the village, abducted me to the mountain stronghold, and left me to die."

Someone shouted, and the crowd erupted, swarming forward and frantically scratching and biting at heads, venting their hatred.

They suffered terribly, imprisoned here, with people being taken away every day and never returning.

Zhang Yuanzhu looked at the frenzied crowd, did not stop them, and slowly backed away from the house.

He ventured deeper into the Green Snake Stronghold, exploring the surrounding area and looting spoils along the way.

Swords, brocade robes, silver, and food—anything useful, he would collect, either carrying it on his back or putting it in his storage bag.

Tower~

The boy stopped in his tracks in front of a courtyard.

The walls were made of gray-brown rocks, and the wooden gate was painted in bright red, clearly indicating that this was the residence of the upper class in the village.

"Chief of the Green Snake Stronghold!"

Zhang Yuanzhu made his own guesses.

He had plundered the mountain strongholds along the way, and this was the most luxurious residence he had ever seen.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, stretched out his palm, and placed it on the doorman's door.

crunch~

The door was pushed open, revealing a spacious courtyard and the main house with its doors and windows wide open.

Through the open doors and windows, he saw various items scattered on the ground.

It's obvious that someone has searched this place.

The boy gripped the sword hilt tightly with his five fingers, took a few steps, rushed into the main room, and searched around.

The scriptures were gone, the silver was gone, and all valuable items had vanished.

"Young Master Shang?"

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were cold and sharp. The only person who could have looted everything in such a short time was Young Master Shang, who had not made a move until now.

Taking advantage of him without fear of choking to death.

Call ~

Exhale softly.

He wanted to check again carefully to make sure nothing was missed.

His eyes slowly closed, and the Bodhi tree deep within his heart trembled slightly.

In an instant, a faint tremor arose.

Zhang Yuanzhu suddenly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips.

He sensed an item that could activate supernatural powers.

Following his instincts, the boy stepped into the corner, raised his hand, and a faint blue light emanated from his fingertips.

The next moment, the five fingers spread open and suddenly pressed down.

Click!

The wall was broken, revealing a vermilion wooden box.

The boy lowered his gaze, examining the more exquisite wooden box.

The next moment, a hand covering the aura reached out and gently grasped the wooden box.

With a flick of the finger, the wooden box opened, revealing a yellowed book.

"Scriptures? Exercises?"

With curiosity in his eyes, Zhang Yuanzhu took out a book, slowly turned the pages, and a line of text came into view.

Bone Forging Technique!

Bones are the very essence of all living beings. Skin, flesh, and blood decay after a hundred years, and gold, jade, bronze, and iron crumble after a thousand years, but bones remain uncorrupted...

The young man frowned slightly and slowly uttered a few words:

"Demonic Weapon Forging Techniques"

He did not stop, and continued to peruse the scriptures in his palm.

"Use blood to fuse with bones, transforming them into the embryo; use the soul as the substance, to forge a magical artifact!"

The "White Bone Refining Technique" explains the process of refining magical artifacts in great detail and can be considered a complete art of artifact refining.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes flickered; he still had fragments of magical artifacts and the remains of the Old Snake in his storage bag.

It seems that the ritual implements can be recast and used again.

Various thoughts flashed through the boy's mind. He flipped his hand and put the ancient book deep into his storage bag.

There's no rush. We can make a decision after "The Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns".

What needs to be done now is...

Zhang Yuanzhu turned around and looked out of the courtyard. Hundreds of people were gathered at the entrance, and the moonlight shone down, illuminating their expressions.

His posture was respectful, and his face showed gratitude.

An elderly man with a hunched back and very little hair walked over, leaning on a tree branch.

Upon arriving before the boy, he bowed deeply.

"I, Wang Da, on behalf of the two hundred and forty-six people, thank you for saving our lives, Your Excellency."

The young man's expression was gentle, and he offered his hands in a gesture of support.

"It was just something I did casually, there's no need for all that."

As human beings, we naturally have goodwill towards our fellow human beings.

Zhang Yuanzhu would never hesitate to help others if he could, for he considered life to be the most precious thing in the world.

After all, many people have helped him, both in his past life and in this one.

He did go to university with the help of kind people; otherwise, he, an orphan who grew up in an orphanage, would not have chosen to jump into the water to save someone.

During his escape from hardship in this life, he also received many kindnesses, such as those from the Ruan sisters and Ye Jinxian. How could he forget them?

The old man sensed the kindness in the boy's heart, and his tense heart calmed down slightly.

The cultivators in this chaotic place rarely treated them as human beings, killing them indiscriminately and using them as materials for refining weapons and cultivating. Such things were all too common.

Wang Da stood up, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes:

"Sir, most of us are refugees fleeing disasters, as well as villagers from nearby villages. We haven't had a proper meal since we were captured, and we're starving. Could you please take some food from the village?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanzhu nodded slightly and slung the longsword in his hand over his waist.

"The grain is piled up in the northwest corner of the village; you can go and get it."

After a pause, the boy's expression turned serious, and he whispered:

"The food supply in the village is limited and cannot sustain you for long. I would like to escort you down the mountain to Jiaoyuan City."

At that moment, the old man looked up, his cloudy eyes filled with astonishment.

Zhang Yuanzhu looked at the old man with a gentle and calm expression, sincere and frank.

The old man remained silent for a long time before replying:

"Thank you, sir. This matter is too important; we need to discuss it."

"it is good."

The boy nodded, his knuckles slightly bent, and lightly tapped the hilt of his sword.

"I will stay here overnight, and we can discuss it tomorrow morning."

The old man thanked them again and turned to merge into the crowd.

In an instant, a fierce argument broke out, and then more than two hundred people headed towards the northwest of the mountain stronghold.

Zhang Yuanzhu smiled but didn't say anything.

He carried his long sword, left the courtyard, and arrived at the gate of the mountain stronghold. What he saw was blood and corpses covering the ground, and a strong stench of blood filled the surroundings.

Outside the camp, wild beasts, drawn by the presence of the camp, lurked in the shadows, their eyes filled with ferocity and greed.

Ignoring the bloodstains on the ground, Zhang Yuanzhu sat down, placed his long sword on his lap, and stared coldly at the beast.

His aura burst forth unrestrainedly, fierce and violent.

After a few roars, the wild beasts slowly retreated.

Immediately, the boy raised his arms and formed ancient hand seals.

The spirit stone on his chest shimmered, and strands of spiritual energy flowed into his body, restoring his depleted energy. The energy of the spring within his dantian circulated, relieving his fatigue.

He sat alone in front of the village all night until the first light of dawn illuminated the mountains and rivers, at which point he awoke from his meditation.

The boy stood up and stretched.

crackling sounds~

The sound of bones rubbing together carried through the air.

At that moment, Wang Da walked out of the village, holding a piece of roasted meat in both hands:

"My lord, this is meat from the bear's belly; it's the most tender part."

Zhang Yuanzhu stepped aside, took the roasted meat, and watched the crowd begin to clean up the corpses, whispering:

"It seems you have all made your decision!"