In the ancient lands of the Great Wilderness, fierce birds and Exotic Beasts roamed freely. The night was deep and pitch-black, making the scenery impossible to see. Yet the mountains were far from peaceful. Savage beasts roared, shaking the mountains and rivers, making countless trees tremble as scattered leaves rustled down.
Among the countless mountains and ravines, prehistoric beasts prowled, Ancient Relic Beasts appeared and vanished, and all manner of terrifying sounds rose and fell within the darkness, seeming ready to tear apart heaven and earth.
Within the Azure Mountain Range, a soft glow flickered into view. Beneath the endless dark curtain of night, it was like a wavering candle flame amid the mountains, liable to go out at any moment.
As one drew closer to that glow, one could make out half of an enormous dead tree. Its trunk was more than ten meters wide and entirely charred black. Aside from half its main trunk, only a frail branch remained, yet it emanated vitality. Its leaves were crystalline, as though carved from green jade, while soft points of light spread outward to envelop a village.
This was a Lightning-Struck Willow. Many years ago, it had been struck by a bolt of lightning that reached Tongtian, seemingly destroying the old willow's enormous crown and flourishing life force. Now, only an eight- or nine-meter-high stump remained above the ground, astonishingly thick and sturdy.
Upon the charred stump, the sole willow branch gleamed brilliantly. Like a Divine Chain of green dawn clouds, it radiated halos of light, covering and protecting the entire village. It gave this settlement a hazy appearance, like an immortal realm, making it seem especially mysterious within the Great Wilderness.
This was the Sacred Guardian of this ancient village, an extremely special sort of existence. Survival in the Great