themonasnovels Chapter 72 The Birth of the Fifth Golden Melon
Chapter 72 The Birth of the Fifth Golden Melon
Cai Xuan pulled the wheelless trailer to the giant golden pumpkin vine, and together with the little ones, poured the white, sticky mud from the basket onto the base of the vine.
The roots of the giant pumpkin vine eagerly sprouted from the soil, burrowed into the mud, and absorbed its spiritual energy.
This white mud paste is recorded in the "Records of Mysterious Wilderness Medicines" as chalky soil, one of the five elements of spiritual soil. It is rich in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and can be used to cultivate rare plants and precious medicinal herbs. It can also be directly absorbed to enhance cultivation. Compared to the previous black mud paste, chalky soil is of a higher grade and has a purer effect.
Cai Xuan watched for a while, then turned around to deal with the four-horned antelope.
The four horns of the four-horned antelope have unique uses; they can calm the nerves, soothe the mind, and relieve fever, making them a rare and valuable medicinal material.
Cai Xuan first cut the horn off at the base, carefully stored it away, and then began to skin and extract the meat. The antelope meat was firm, and the fat was pale yellow—it looked delicious. It was a pity there were no spices for grilling; otherwise, a barbecue feast that evening would have been wonderful.
Yun'er and Xuan'er obediently squatted down beside them to help.
Although they couldn't offer much help, just handing over knives and catching meat, the two little ones watched very carefully, their eyes glued to Cai Xuan's every move, as if they were learning.
Xi'er threw the four-horned antelope she brought back on the ground and then ignored it.
He clapped his hands, walked to the wooden frame, and looked up at the sixth, seventh, and eighth golden gourds.
After the large golden gourd vine absorbed the spiritual energy of the chalky soil, light flowed across its surface, and streams of spiritual energy were transported upwards along its thick vine, continuously flowing into the three smaller golden gourds.
Inside the sixth golden melon, above the little girl's head, the black and white flag became even more prominent.
The flag fluttered even without wind. It was black and white on both sides, clearly distinguishable, with countless intricate patterns covering it, faintly exuding a ghostly aura from the depths of the underworld.
Inside the seventh golden gourd, the little girl's body became increasingly ethereal, shifting between reality and illusion, with countless profound laws flowing within it, making it extremely mysterious.
Inside the eighth golden gourd, the small golden gourd floating above the little girl's head gradually solidified, and streams of military-grade metal energy spewed out from it, with countless rays of light flashing alternately on it, exuding a sharp and heavy aura.
Looking at her younger sisters, who were radiating a hazy, precious light and exhaling a rosy glow, Xi'er felt genuinely delighted.
Shu'er and Xin'er were originally going to the kitchen to cook, but when they saw Xi'er carrying such a big four-horned antelope back, they changed their minds and ran over to join Yun'er and Xuan'er, squatting on the ground to watch Cai Xuan kill the four-horned antelope.
Four little heads huddled together, watching him skillfully cut chunks of meat and bones, occasionally letting out exclamations of "Wow!" which made Cai Xuan beam with delight.
Such a large four-horned antelope could not be eaten in a day, so Cai Xuan followed the old custom and cut the rest into pieces, dried them, and stored them to eat slowly, except for a little bit to use fresh.
In the past, Cai Xuan had to travel around and scheme for food.
Now that we have a few little ones helping out, we have so much meat at home that we can't even finish it all, so we're starting to consider a balanced diet with a mix of meat and vegetables.
The four-horned antelope's fur was soft and thick. Cai Xuan skinned it and threw it into the pit where he had previously tanned animal hides. He added wood ash and water and slowly tanned it. Later, when the weather got cold, it would be excellent for making quilts, bedding, or clothes.
After absorbing the chalky soil, the giant pumpkin vine became much thicker.
The skin completely changed from bluish-green to dark brown, becoming smooth and hard.
The entire vine has transformed into wood, becoming a woody vine. The leaves on the vine have also become thicker, with shimmering light flowing through the veins, and a faint sense of vitality and life emanating from them.
The three small golden gourds on the wooden frame have returned to their normal appearance. The precious light on the gourds has subsided, and the patterns have dimmed, making them look no different from ordinary golden gourds.
Suddenly, a black and white flag flew out from the sixth golden melon, unfurled in the wind, transformed into a large banner, rolled up the melon, and fell to the ground.
The flag rapidly shrank, revealing the figure of a seven or eight-year-old girl. Finally, the flag transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the girl's brow.
As soon as the girl appeared, she happily called out to Xi'er, who was standing under the wooden frame, "Big sister."
"Little sister, why don't you cultivate inside a bit more?" Xi'er walked over, took her hand, looked her up and down, her joy evident in her eyes.
"No need," the girl shook her head and said, "My magic weapon, the 'Netherworld Life and Death Flag,' has already been fully developed. Continuing to cultivate it will only add to the burden on the Great Golden Gourd Vine. It's better to leave the nutrients for my two younger sisters. It won't be easy for Seventh Sister's supernatural powers and Eighth Sister's magic weapon to be fully developed."
"Don't worry."
Xi'er patted her chest and said confidently, "I've found spiritual soil. It's different from the life-giving mud we had last time. It can nurture even the most powerful magical treasures. Don't worry."
"Oh, Sixth Sister has been born?"
After Cai Xuan finished dealing with the four-horned antelope, he washed the blood off his hands, walked up to the platform, saw the sixth golden melon, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.
"Brother." The girl turned around and called out sweetly to Cai Xuan.
That "brother" was clear and melodious, like a mountain spring dripping onto jade, carrying a touch of childishness and intimacy, warming Cai Xuan's heart.
"Okay, okay." Cai Xuan smiled and walked over, squatted down and said to the sixth golden melon, "From now on you will be our family's sixth sister. I will give you a name, Ling'er, Ling as in lively and clever."
"Ling'er..." the girl whispered her name, then said happily, "Thank you, brother."
"Don't be shy." Cai Xuan stood up and announced loudly to the children who had gathered around, "To celebrate Ling'er's birth, we're having hot pot tonight! You can eat as much meat as you want, it's all you can eat!"
The little ones cheered in unison, their voices echoing through the mountains and forests. Even the two remaining little golden gourds on the wooden frame swayed as if they too were happy for the birth of their sixth sister.
Cai Xuan turned and went into the kitchen to start preparing the ingredients for the hot pot.
First, put the antelope bones into a pot to make soup, which will be used as the base for the hot pot. Then, cut the fresh antelope meat into thin slices.
Don't let their small size fool you, these little guys have a huge appetite, so he prepared a lot of four-horned antelope meat to cook, along with some sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, and various dried vegetables and purple sweet potato leaves as side dishes, and then he made some dipping sauce.
The little ones, except for Xi'er, were all watching Cai Xuan carefully prepare the dishes and dipping sauces, seemingly wanting to learn how to do it all.
Before long, the antelope bone broth turned milky white, and a rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air.
Cai Xuan poured the broth into the hot pot and carried it outside. The little ones followed behind, carrying sliced meat, side dishes, and dipping sauces. Cai Xuan placed the hot pot on the charcoal stove, and the little ones arranged the sliced meat, side dishes, and dipping sauces on it one by one, before turning around to get bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing that everything was ready, Cai Xuan said, "Let's eat."
The little ones, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately picked up their chopsticks, grabbed pieces of antelope meat, dipped them in the pot, and then put them in their mouths after dipping them in the sauce. Instantly, their eyes narrowed with delight.