Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 65 Healthy Eating
Just as that deserter from back then, now the man of the mountains, was trying out his new method of preaching, the young guard from the southern swamp was also spying on him.

To the young guard, learning by stealing was no big deal. After all, according to the clan's legend, their ancestor mastered the power of magic by observing the way the serpent god lit a fire. So, his current actions could be seen as following in the footsteps of his ancestors.

"As long as we bring back the way to eternal youth..."

The young guard thought to himself.

Yes, he didn't know anything about this so-called Dao, and he had never heard of it. Even if he had heard of it or seen it, he didn't care at all—after all, this kind of thing had nothing to do with his mission. From beginning to end, his mission was only to bring back the way to maintain eternal youth.

After careful observation, he actually noticed something.

"These people... seem to eat differently from the Ignivas."

After observing the cycle of three days and nights from the shadows, the young guard began to ponder.

He had initially thought that the reason these so-called mountain people seemed to have little meat was mainly because they ate little. However, during his observations over the past few days, he was surprised to find that these mountain people's appetites were actually similar to those of the Ignivas people.

In a sense, this can be considered a continuation of the same lineage. Although the two sides have now split into different branches, they are ultimately both from the former city of Ignis.

However, eating a lot is one thing.

In terms of food choices, the way these mountain people eat is completely different from that of the Ignivas people.

The Ignivas people's way of eating originates from the methods of magicians' training developed in the ancient city of Ignis—large chunks of roasted meat exuding the aroma of oil, milk, jam made from rock berry, and rare honey syrup, which constitute the main diet of the Ignivas people.

Simply put, it's all about being cloyingly sweet.

The diet of these mountain people is completely different. Although they also cook roasted meat with jam, they do not wolf it down like the Ignivas. Even the precious honey is only used as a condiment, not drunk directly like the Ignivas. In addition, these mountain people also eat a lot of plants, such as Jerusalem artichoke, nettle, quinoa, or kudzu root. Occasionally, you can even see wild yam, cattail, or lotus root. Even things like earth ear fungus are served on the table.

"And they don't just choose one type of meat..."

After observing for a few more days, the young guard discovered a new difference.

The Ignivas people are not picky about meat; they will eat any kind of meat. They are not picky eaters. If there are mammoths, they will eat mammoths; if there are no mammoths, they will eat saber-toothed tigers. In the southern swamps, where there are neither mammoths nor saber-toothed tigers, eating alligators is also acceptable.

But the way these mountain people eat is clearly different. The young guard could tell that these mountain people are deliberately changing the types of meat. For example, if they eat mammoth meat one meal, they will switch to bird meat or fish meat the next meal. They rarely repeat the same type of meat, just as they rarely repeat the same type of vegetable meat.

"They are deliberately trying to consume more different kinds of food."

After observing for several days, the young guard keenly noticed this.

Thinking of the bodies of these mountain people, and their robust physiques so different from those of the Ignivas, the young guard felt he had grasped something.

To verify this hypothesis, he even secretly tried the diet of these mountain people.

Immediately afterwards, he realized that he had found the answer.

"This must be it! This must be the key to youth!"

The young guard, having changed his eating habits for a few days, came to a conclusion. It's common knowledge that becoming stronger always comes at a price, and this is especially true for the training of the Ignis people—it's said that in the old city of Ignis, not everyone could become a mage, and even among mages, there were differences in skill level.

The key to determining who is better lies in whether they can eat more.

Although it sounds like an extremely simple thing, as if all you need is a big enough stomach, it's actually not that simple at all. Although the aroma of roasted meat and the sweet syrup may seem tempting, after eating too much, the aroma of fat will turn into greasiness, and the sweetness will turn into cloying sweetness. That cloying smell can even make people want to vomit.

This means that those who can cultivate the path of magic are all people with extraordinary willpower. Their firm willpower allows them to resist the nausea caused by the greasiness and even stuff themselves with more food, trying their best to make their bodies bear the burden.

"But the diet of these mountain people... is completely different."

Recalling the changes in his diet over the past few days, the young guard nodded slowly.

Although the plant roots or leaves were quite unpalatable to him, when paired with greasy meat, he felt a refreshing taste. In other words, although he ate a lot, his body was not under much burden, and there was no possibility of nausea. He did not need to strengthen his will to finish eating.

Even after eating, his body felt quite relaxed.

Even the most powerful mage will feel drowsy after eating, but after eating the food of the mountain people, he remained energetic and showed no signs of drowsiness even after consuming a large amount of food.

"This way of eating is beneficial to the body."

"If you can maintain this kind of diet in the long term and diversify your meals... your condition can indeed improve, and you can truly say that you stay young forever!"

At that moment, the young guard felt he had grasped the key to everything.

After that, he decisively chose to leave the sacred mountain.

We've been out for quite a while now, and who knows how much longer the Second Akakage can hold out? We need to bring these secret techniques back as soon as possible, and also some vegetables that aren't available in the southern swamp.

"I have grasped the secrets of these mountain dwellers! I will definitely complete the mission of the Second Akakage!"

His eyes were filled with determination.

This determination was also noticed by a similarly young figure in the distance.

"Yes, that's it. Take the Dao you've sensed out and share it with your people."

The young man in the distance nodded slowly. He could sense that the outsider's eyes were undoubtedly filled with the look of someone who had found the "Tao".

As he watched the outsider leave, he even felt for a moment that he was the serpent god of the past. Back then, the ancestors of the Ignis people probably learned the principles of magic from the serpent god in the same way.

And now, this outsider, this descendant of the Ignis, is also bringing new principles with him.

Just how far can this outsider go?
He couldn't help but feel a little excited.

But soon he discovered that things were not developing as he had expected.

(End of this chapter)