Once upon a time there was a greedy snake

They didn't even utilize one-tenth of this approach.

In the history of the Ignivas, the pot was something the Great Serpent God specifically instructed their ancestors to make... It should be noted that the Great Serpent God only made two requests of the Ignivas.

Firstly, it serves as a warning to the Ignivas: never give up exploring the world.

As it turns out, the Serpent God was right. If it weren't for the earlier ancestors who explored the southern swamps in advance, the second-generation Akakage would probably have suffocated in his former homeland with his people because he had nowhere to go, just like those people who stayed behind.

As for the second one...

This is the pot.

The Ignis people were disrespectful to the serpent god and naturally disregarded his instructions. Although their ancestors had promised the serpent god to make this cooking utensil for him, the rebels quickly forgot about it.

They believed that by mastering so-called magic, they had mastered everything.

"But in reality, this cooking utensil called a pot truly embodies the wisdom of the serpent god."

With conventional open-flame grilling, no matter how well the ingredients are combined, they can never truly blend together; the ingredients are still eaten separately. But with a pot, it's completely different. A large pot filled with hot water can not only fully blend the flavors of various ingredients together, but also extract the essence from them.

The impact of this on the Ignivas people is immeasurable.

The idea that "you can eat your fill just by drinking water" was once considered a joke by the Ignivas people, but now, this seemingly impossible thing has actually become a reality.

And the practice of magic was finally no longer a torment.

Thanks to this achievement, the Third Akakage quickly gained everyone's recognition. This soup-making skill had truly benefited every member of the clan, and they all believed that the Third Akakage's achievements were even more substantial than those of the previous two Akakages.

Yes, that's right.

The first Akakage did bring peace, but that was decades ago. The second Akakage did lead his people to build a city, but the people also contributed to the construction.

The dietary improvements made by the third generation of Akakage were accessible to every Ignivas, and all Ignivas benefited from them. The assistance they provided for magical training could be felt every day, even at every meal.

This directly led to the Third Akakage becoming the most popular Akakage. Although he himself always said that he had only done some minor work, it did not stop the Ignivas from thinking that he was very reliable.

This adoration lasted until the later years of the Third Akakage.

At this point, the Third Akakage could definitively declare that he had indeed accomplished something, simply because he had now obtained the results summarized by his subordinates—he had never imagined that the power of dietary modification would be so great, even increasing the average lifespan of the Ignivas people by more than ten years.

It's important to know that this only counts those who have passed away. Before they died, they had spent a considerable amount of time indulging in unhealthy eating habits according to the ancestral customs of the Ignivas. Such eating habits put a heavy burden on the body. Even so, after changing their eating habits, their lifespans still increased.

"That way, I can close my eyes in peace."

At the end of his life, the elderly Akakage looked back on the past.

If there is any regret, it is that he did not obtain the true secret method that could keep people young forever. What his people are using now can only be considered a tiny, insignificant part of that secret method. However, fortunately, before he grew old, he had already begun to have some mages study the mysteries of that secret method.

"Of course, I probably won't need this."

With that in mind, he summoned the leader of the magicians.

This was someone he personally selected to be in charge of researching the mysteries of the secret techniques, and also the fourth Akakage, whom he personally chose.

"If the research yields results, we must make sure that all our people can use it... Don't be like those kings in Ignis back then, who only cared about themselves, or they would surely bring disaster upon themselves."

The fourth Akakage, who had not yet succeeded to the throne, held the third Akakage's hand tightly. He hadn't expected that even at the end of his life, the third Akakage was still thinking about the Ignivas.

Such willpower filled him with admiration, and he decided to carry on the legacy of the three generations of Crimson Shadows, determined to ensure that all his people could achieve true immortality.

Of course, the Fourth Akakage also knew very well that one must take things one step at a time and eat one bite at a time. Immortality itself was too abstract, but increasing the lifespan of his clansmen and making them healthier and younger was something he could see and touch.

With this in mind, the Fourth Akakage devoted most of his time to research. Although many clansmen commented that this Akakage was the least involved generation of Akakage, he seemed to have accomplished nothing since taking office, and was far inferior to the previous Akakage.

However, in the thirtieth year of the Fourth Akakage's succession, everything changed.

That year, the Fourth Akakage finally presented his research findings.

"what is this?"

The Ignivas frowned as they saw the tiny, round balls, no bigger than the tip of their little finger, that were distributed to them, resembling pebbles made from stone powder.

Their fourth generation of Akakage spent thirty years on this, and this is what they came up with?

"eat."

The Fourth Akakage's words were concise and to the point.

Although the small sphere looked strange, they carefully swallowed it out of trust in the Fourth Akakage.

Even if it really is a stone, it doesn't matter. They didn't swallow much anyway. They'd just vomit a few times a while, and that would be fine with them.

But what they didn't expect was that this thing wasn't actually a stone.

Not only were they not stones, but after these small spheres were swallowed, they all felt full to varying degrees after a short while!

"You felt it, didn't you?"

Seeing the astonished expressions on everyone's faces, the Fourth Akakage couldn't help but laugh.

"This is the result of my efforts over the past thirty years! I have further improved the methods left behind by the Third Akakage!"

"From now on, we won't need to eat anything anymore!"

"Just one food essence is enough to fill you up and keep you full all day!"

Chapter 68: The Essence Comes in Small Portions

The Fourth Akakage's innovation was met with unprecedented acclaim.

A single food essence can replenish the body's needs for an entire day, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions, especially for the Ignivas.

After all, as mages, they can truly convert their food intake into combat power.

The dietary improvements made by the Third Akakage had greatly reduced the burden on them in their magical training, while the food essence of the Fourth Akakage directly broke their eating limits—after all, even the stew left by the Third Akakage would make them feel a bit full if they drank too much.

But if you replace it with this tiny bit of food essence, it's a completely different story.

As long as they can handle it and digest it, they can eat handfuls of this stuff.

Based on this, the Fourth Akakage naturally gained the recognition of everyone. They believed that the Fourth Akakage was a great wise king—and the Fourth Akakage's achievements were even more than that, since he would always be needed after his combat power increased.

Thus, in the later years of the Fourth Akakage, the Ignivas launched a war to reclaim their lost territory.

The entire war was utterly crushing. After all, the giants were starving and had lost their former glory. On the contrary, the Ignivas mages, empowered by the essence of the food, fought with increasing ferocity.

Perhaps due to excessive nutrition, these new generation of Ignivas are no longer the same height as before. Many of them have reached the chests of the giants, and some are even nearly the same size as the giants. However, compared to the emaciated giants, they are much stronger because they are well-fed every day, and their magic is more than one level higher than that of the Ignivas from their homeland.

In the past, mages were considered to have combat power simply by blasting fireballs, but now, every warrior of Ignivas can blast much larger fireballs. If they were to use the smaller fireballs of the past, they could even fire them in succession. This has increased their combat power by more than one level.

"This is all thanks to the Fourth Akakage!"

They praised that red-clad figure in this way.

"If it weren't for the Fourth Akakage, how could we have achieved this!"

"This is actually the wisdom left behind by that great serpent god..."

The Fourth Akakage did not take credit for it; instead, like the Third Akakage, he naturally acknowledged the origin of this system.

After all, the essence of this food was developed based on the stewing techniques of the Third Akakage. If we really want to trace it back, it truly comes from the wisdom of the great Serpent God.

After all, even the container used to make the essence of food is still a pot, a type of cooking utensil.

However, this minor incident was quickly overshadowed by the great victory reported from the front lines.

On the fifteenth day of the war, the mages finally located the main force of the giants and then wiped out the starving corpses in a quarter of an hour. After these giants were annihilated, the remaining giants fled northward toward the ice plains and never looked back.

The victory came so suddenly, it was like a dream.

This directly led to the Fourth Akakage fainting after confirming the news of the great victory at the front.

When he woke up again, the Fourth Akakage felt that he was already exhausted. Thinking about it carefully, he should have died long ago. After all, repeated failures were a huge torment to the human spirit. Those days of working day and night seemed focused, but they had long since worn down his body.

As the one who further improved the diet of the Ignivas, the Fourth Akakage himself was the one least likely to be healthy.

So, just like the Third Akakage back then, the Fourth Akakage also chose the most reliable person from among his researchers.

"From now on, you will be the Fifth Akakage."

The Fourth Akakage said this to the researcher.

"I have completed all the tasks that the Third Akakage gave me. Even if I die now, I have no regrets... If I have to say what I regret, it is probably the food essence. You should have sensed it too, that thing has the potential to go further."

"Yes."

The researcher nodded vigorously.

In fact, it's not just them; many Ignivas have realized that something related to the essence of food, or rather, the key that the human body needs, is not the so-called essence of food we have now, but the real, unadulterated essence that the human body needs.

In the past, people had a burden when it came to food intake, mainly in terms of digestion. The body always needed to distinguish and process what was necessary and what was not.

If this part could be clarified, or even precisely captured...

"This task is entrusted to you."

The Fourth Akakage grasped the researcher's hand.

"Also, there's another matter, which concerns the Holy Mountain..."

“I know that, you mention it often.”

The researcher continued to nod.

The matter of the Holy Mountain can be considered the last wish of the Third Akakage. After all, the Third Akakage learned his food improvement techniques from the Holy Mountain. Now that he has the opportunity, he naturally wants to tell those so-called mountain people, who are the former Ignis people.

Although the two sides have diverged into different branches over the long past, they ultimately share the same ancestors and past, so it is only natural for them to connect with each other.

"Finally, don't forget to offer sacrifices to that great serpent god, after all, we also received wisdom from Him..."

As he spoke, the Fourth Akakage's voice grew softer and softer.

Until there was no more sound.

On that same day, the Fifth Akakage also completed his succession.

As the new Akakage, the Fifth Akakage immediately chose to fulfill the Fourth Akakage's last wish by personally visiting the sacred mountain of the past to pay homage—this was a ceremony, and in a sense, also a diplomatic act.

Although the people of the sacred mountain and the Ignivas share the same ancestors, they ultimately split into two different factions.

Fortunately, the people in the mountains were easy to talk to, especially the young man who took the initiative to meet them. It was at this moment that the Fifth Akakage realized that the other party was actually a person from the same era as the First Akakage, and had even lived to this day.

"It seems you have finally found your own path."

Looking at these new generation of Ignivas, I couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion for that young deserter from back then.

Seeing that these Ignivas people were recovering, it was as if Akakage's wish had been fulfilled. He could finally put his mind at ease and continue to focus on his own path.

But what he didn't expect was that this was not the end.

But it was the beginning of everything.

Chapter 69 Human Refined Feed

Because they shared the same ancestor, the mountain people and the Ignivas people engaged in friendly and cordial exchanges.

Over time, the people of the mountains no longer harbored much resentment towards the Ignivas family. Moreover, the Ignivas people of today are completely different from those royal families of the past—compared to those royal families who, having mastered magic, treated them with disrespect, these Ignivas people are more like their former selves.

It's just that these Ignivas happen to possess magic, but that's not a big deal, since as people living in the mountains, they all have their own methods.

So, the mountain people naturally treated these diligent young people as their juniors, and the Ignivas people had no intention of holding back when facing their former compatriots—after enjoying the delicious food they were treated to, they even shared their techniques for extracting the essence of the food.

"That's roughly it: heat it in a pot, boil it, and then let it dry..."

To ensure no information was missing, the Fifth Akakage even personally demonstrated the specific procedures and detailed proportions.

"However, this is only a rough version. When the Fourth Akakage was still around, we had already explored something much deeper..."

The Ignivas people haven't figured out the deeper questions, such as what exactly the human body needs, and now is a good time to brainstorm ideas.

This kind of research into the essence of things has a fatal attraction for people living in the mountains.

After all, over the long course of time, they had long since developed the habit of seeking the Way. Now, they were faced with an unsolvable problem, which was like a rock blocking their path—they simply could not resist the urge to move it.

Naturally, they all threw themselves into this research.

The research process is lengthy and requires constant trial and error. Fortunately, the giants have now been driven back to the northern tundra, and without external threats, they can confidently and boldly try everything they want.

Twenty years after the Fifth Akakage ascended to the throne, the research finally yielded results.

"Is this what it is?"

The Fifth Generation Akakage stared at the small clump of white powder in front of him.

"Are you really sure this is something the human body absolutely needs?"