Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 35 It's really hard to come up with a name

In the distant sacred mountain, Du Yi was carrying out a thorough cleaning operation.

After all, compared to the king who could be easily crushed, the excrement covering the mountains and fields was the most important thing right now. This was his dwelling place, his living environment, and it wasn't even too far from where he rested and slept. If this smell continued, he probably wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep anymore.

Fortunately, he's not working alone right now.

Without hands or feet, he found this delicate work quite troublesome, but the Ignis people were very quick and efficient—in just half a day, all the excrement that had been turned over was swept away and piled up in the orchard halfway up the mountain.

It was at this moment that Du Yi discovered that these Ignis people had actually planted quite a few fruit trees.

"We can definitely get more of these. These berries look to be of good quality. I'll even order some from you later... By the way, how do you manage to make these fruit trees grow so well?"

The savage who knew him gave a detailed answer, which made Du Yi regret asking the question.

The reason for their vigorous growth was actually their own excrement. Although Du Yi could roughly understand that this could be considered a kind of fertilizer, he still lost his appetite for these fruits and vegetables when he thought of the strange smell he had smelled before.

However, he also allowed these Ignis people to dig up the dung in the deep mountains, since it was meaningless to him but was indeed useful for planting.

"But make sure there are as few people as possible, and make sure to arrange a date beforehand."

Du Yi made a three-point agreement with these Ignis people.

In addition, he made some other agreements with these Ignis people, such as not going to the place where he slept, and not looting all the produce in the mountains. As the representative chosen by the Ignis people, this young Ignis person also stated that they would only settle outside the sacred mountain, just like their ancestors thousands of years ago.

"We just need a place where we can survive, and we won't offend the gods."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the young Ignis humbly lowered his head.

But this action made Du Yi shake his head repeatedly.

"This is also the last thing I want to say: don't treat me like some kind of god."

Facing the devout gazes of the Ignis people, Du Yi spoke in the Ignis language.

“I have no interest in your worship or your offerings. I said the same thing to your ancestors, the ones you call the Radiant Ones, and now I say it to you again.”

……

Upon hearing this, everyone in Ignis present was stunned.

The fact that the great serpent god, who only existed in legends, actually appeared and even saved everyone's lives at the critical moment was an exciting thing.

However, the serpent god refused their offerings and even their faith.

"……Why?"

One of the Ignis couldn't help but ask.

"Great serpent god, why do you not accept our offerings? Why do you not accept our faith? If we cannot even believe in you, then what should we believe in?"

"This……"

Du Yi really wanted to say that the meager offerings these people made wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap for someone with his appetite.

However, considering that such words would be too hurtful, he decided to skip the topic.

"If you don't know what to believe, then believe in yourself." As for the second question, Du Yi gave his answer after thinking about it.

“I can’t live in the mountains forever, and you can’t rely on me forever. I was just lucky this time. What if I’m unlucky next time?”

"In the end, you all have to learn to rely on yourselves. In the end, you have to believe in yourselves. Only the path you forge yourself is the most reliable."

The Ignis people nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

They were still immersed in the frustration of being rejected by the gods, so much so that they couldn't think straight for a while—but since it was also a divine instruction, they still remembered some of the key words.

"You have to rely on yourself and forge your own path."

They remembered these words; they were a teaching given to them by the gods.

Of course, they also remembered that the gods did not allow them to worship them as gods, which meant that they could not say that this was a teaching given by the gods—but if they were asked to change the name, they could not think of a good idea for a while.

So, after several days and nights of discussion, they finally settled on a relatively suitable name.

Taoist Ancestor.

The Dao, which is the phrase given to them by the snake god, and the Ancestor, means that they worship the snake god as an ancient ancestor.

In any case, given the age of the serpent god, it can indeed be traced back to their first ancestor, so it's not a problem for them to worship it as an ancestor.

After all, the snake god had saved their lives at the brink of death, which was like giving them a second chance at life.

The ancient ancestors who imparted the knowledge of the Tao.

This is their new name for the serpent god.

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Meanwhile, in the north, permafrost.

This frozen land, with its howling winds, is not a suitable environment for survival. Even mammoths with their thick fur, given the choice, would prefer to head south to places with more comfortable environments.

But those giants of the frozen earth, each as tall as two Ignis, have remained rooted here for thousands of years without wavering.

Of course, the giants never called themselves giants; they always called themselves Ice People. As for why they didn't go south to those warm and pleasant places, it wasn't because they didn't want to go.

The main reason is the presence of those dwarves in the south.

The dwarves were only half the height of the Ice People, but they were just as fierce. Some of the larger dwarves even possessed the skill of wielding fire, and could burn a tall Ice People into a torch with just a clap of their hands.

Every time the Ice People tried to migrate south to warmer places, they were attacked and killed by these dwarves, which gradually forged an irreconcilable blood feud between the Ice People and the dwarves.

But today, the king of those dwarves actually came to the frozen lands and even claimed that he wanted to make peace with the people of the Icefield.

"Is that really the king of the dwarves?"

Upon seeing the northward-bound group, some people from the Ice Plains couldn't help but sigh.

"That's even taller than the king of the Ice People!"

(End of this chapter)