West Beyond the Seas

When they went outside, Liusu took out her stick and sat on Qin Yi's shoulder.

The Little Ghost has no feet, a round body, and a small tail that hangs down and sways back and forth; it's very cute.

This pose between the two was rare; it had happened before, but only briefly. Mainly... Liusu really wasn't suited to appear in public. If it weren't for becoming increasingly familiar with the other girls, Liusu wouldn't have even wanted to show herself in front of them.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with the concept of an "artifact spirit" existing in the first place. Who would associate an artifact spirit with someone from ancient times? It's just that they were being overly cautious. After all, the enemy's level was too high, and they were always afraid of something going wrong.

Now that I'm in a completely unfamiliar place, I feel a sense of detachment, and much of that cautiousness has subsided. But essentially, it's the same: if Heavenly Being reside in the heavens, then it makes no difference where you are on earth...

But at this moment, neither of them wanted to think about it anymore; they were out, so be it.

Taotie wanted to sit on the other shoulder, but Liusu slapped him to the ground with her bone and he could only pitifully follow at her feet.

Liusu wagged its tail and glanced sideways at the dog's miserable state, feeling a little sympathy. It then explained, "If you sit on it too, people will mistake me for someone like you."

Taotie really wanted to ask, "What exactly is your nature?"... but he kept those words to himself and dared not say them.

After getting beaten up so many times, he's learned his lesson...

It sniffed, pulled out a steamed bun, and took a bite. How could such a mighty High Antiquity beast have fallen to such a state...?

Oh well, leveling up with them is pretty fast, and we get to eat too.

Then Qin Yi said, "This place feels a bit Savage Wilderness and desolate. I wonder if it's just that our location is particularly remote, or if this is the general situation."

Liusu said, "This place feels a bit like when I first went to the Demon City. The ancient aura is quite strong. If I'm not mistaken, some of the original tribes can be seen here."

"What were the original races? Dragon Clan or something like that?"

"No... there are many kinds of people," Liusu said. "Have you ever seen a person with only three eyes? Or one hand or something like that?"

"Like the Three-Eyed Kingdom?"

"Pretty much. Anyway, I don't know if these tribes are still around. If they are, they're probably still here."

Qin Yi nodded, tried to fly, and found that it was fine.

So Qin Yi slowly flew on the clouds, with Liusu sitting on his shoulder and Gouzi squatting beside him, observing the place along the way.

The so-called "Savage Wilderness and untamed" feeling comes from the fact that it hasn't undergone much human intervention; it's primitive and desolate. The place resembles a canyon, with bare mountain walls on both sides. There are some subtropical-looking plants along the path, but the vegetation is sparse, with yellow sand and withered grass creating a desolate, Gobi Desert atmosphere. Occasionally, unidentified birds and beasts dart by, their appearances unremarkable—just ordinary eagles and falcons.

There was no sign of human habitation, and even if there were, they would likely be small groups, certainly not the prosperous state of China.

According to the Palace Master's theory, the more this is the case, the more likely it is that there is untapped potential.

It's easy to understand why natural things disappear in crowded places.

Qin Yi was eager to know where his Senior Sister had gone with Qing Cha, and also wanted to know where the exit would be if Meng Qingying integrated the Netherworld and found this direction.

Unfortunately, this is something that can't be forcibly found. With such a vast territory, comparable to China, who knows where they are?

He could only continue along his predetermined path—westward towards the sea, to see what the open ocean was like from that direction. Ideally, he would encounter some creatures he could communicate with, to learn about them first.

So they flew slowly westward for several hours without seeing anyone.

I did see some volcanic eruptions below occasionally...

The world was vast and desolate, a primordial wilderness.

Both the Liusu and the gluttonous beast showed friendly expressions.

Qin Yi glanced at the two cavemen, speechless.

"Don't look at me like that," Liusu said. "Look at the light over there."

Qin Yi turned his head and saw that the lights were like fireflies, and the whole mountain was covered with a soft glow.

They weren't real stars, but trees; these fireflies grew on the trees.

"That's..." Qin Yi stared at it for a long time, then asked in surprise, "That's not fruit, but leaves?"

"Yes, the leaves are like pearls, each one with the brilliance of a comet," Liusu said with a smile. "This is called the Three-Stem Tree."

Qin Yi flew over, holding a leaf in his hand. It was round and smooth, sparkling like a star. It contained very special energy, and Qin Yi, as Alchemist, immediately thought of it as a divine object for refining pills.

This also has a certain auxiliary effect on the current revival of Liusu.

Such extremely valuable treasures are found all over the mountains and plains... This is unimaginable in China. They are either all harvested or transplanted by people to grow their own.

The gluttonous beast swallowed the entire tree in one gulp, and Qin Yi grabbed it, saying, "This place might have an owner."

"No owner, no owner!" the glutton struggled. "That's how we used to eat it!"

"... Forget about the past, brother, this is tens of thousands of years in the future."

Qin Yi scolded it, looked around for a long time, and surprisingly no one interfered.

Liusu waited with him for a while, then smiled and said, "Take only what you need, but don't take everything. Leave some for others to take when they need it, and don't destroy it completely, leave it for regeneration."

Qin Yi asked curiously, "Is this a simple view of nature, or a moral view that comes after a period of great material abundance?"

Liusu rolled her eyes at him. "This is the way."

"..." Qin Yi looked at the three leaves covering the mountains and fields and understood why Liusu felt a sense of familiarity. It was not the desolation that made her feel familiar, but this feeling.

This is what they mean by "people's hearts are no longer what they used to be." Where can we find such ancient wisdom in modern times?

Seeing Qin Yi carefully picking leaves, Liusu smiled and said, "Since Three-Stem Tree here, there should be life living nearby. Let's take a look around."

Before the words were finished, the sound of birdsong came from the sky.

Qin Yi looked up and saw a strange bird.

At first glance, it looks like a bird with two heads, but upon closer inspection, it is not.

Actually, there are two birds, each a different color; one is blue, and the other is red. Both birds have only one eye and one wing, so they fly together in perfect harmony, flapping their wings.

As if they were one.

"This is..."

"The lovebirds." Liusu looked up at the sky, a slight smile on her face. "So they're still here."

Suddenly, the sound of a bowstring rang out, and an arrow shot out like lightning, heading straight for the lovebirds.

Qin Yi instinctively waved his hand, unleashing a burst of energy to snatch the arrow. The lovebirds flapped their wings and flew away, quickly disappearing from sight.

Turning around, they saw a group of men rushing up the hillside, the burly man at the head shouting angrily, "Who ruined my plans!"

Despite seemingly having provoked an enemy, Qin Yi's first reaction was actually joy.

Because they finally met people they could communicate with, and they spoke the Chinese language and even dressed similarly.

Indeed, when there are immortals spreading the teachings, the differences in culture will not be too outrageous, even if each has its own customs.

But upon closer inspection, something's not right... at least the race is definitely wrong.

Their clothes were just ordinary fabric with little protective function. Qin Yi could tell at a glance that the hearts of these people were hollow, as if a large hole had been pierced through them.

"The Pierced Chest Kingdom." This was the first foreign idea that came to Qin Yi's mind.

It is said that they have no heart, so they use the hearts of wolves and dogs instead, thus becoming cruel and vicious.

Even those with the hearts of wolves and dogs often stray from each other, so they have to find another heart, and the cycle repeats itself.

"As for those with pierced chests..." Liusu suddenly spoke up, "Do you want a pair of lovebirds for their feathers, or for their hearts?"

The use of feathers is a form of Seeking marriage.

For the sake of the heart, it is a form of witchcraft.

Especially for Pierced Chest Person.

If a woman were to exchange her lover's heart for a lover's, it would be even more powerful than casting a spell.

"None of your business!" The burly man waved his hand, and a group of people swarmed over. "The Azure-Crimson Bird is gone, so let's try using the hearts of these Black and White Balls instead."

Liusu was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. "Who told you that I'm paired with this black ball?!"

Taotie covered its ears and mourned for these people.

This isn't how you court death...