Last night's violent storm had sent the plants of this world into one final "frenzy."
The Black Annihilation Wind Disaster had certainly harmed all living things, but under its relentless pressure, they were all fighting for their lives.
Unlike the other trees and plants, which were muddled and could only rely on instinct, Yu An could clearly sense the violent changes in the world around him.
This was his first time experiencing the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, so he didn't know what it had been like in previous years. But from the Old Man Yu family, he had learned that this year's disaster was different from those before.
It would also be far more brutal.
Fortunately, he had managed to grasp that faint rhythm imprinted upon heaven and earth, and entered Fetal Movement, beginning his own path of evolution.
Based on his own comparisons and guesses, Yu An believed that the plants of this world, when faced with mortal danger, evolved through instinct. As the years passed, and generation followed generation, they finally broke free of the shackles of their original forms and gained a trace of the extraordinary.
That was what made them Rare Species!
Yu An was lucky. After transmigrating, he had awakened as a Rare Species, letting him skip the most difficult stage.
The extraordinary quality of a Rare Species could be seen as a simple form of consciousness, like being enlightened and having one's apertures opened. In this state, whether actively or passively, it would eventually sense that faint rhythm between heaven and earth and begin a new round of evolution.
Yu An didn't know how other Rare Species were, because apart from himself, he hadn't encountered a single one.
But his own juvenile stage alone had three phases.
The first phase corresponded to ordinary people.
The second corresponded to Fetal Movement.
The third corresponded to Qi Refining.
Now, he was in the second phase, and under the Yu Family's care, he was advancing by leaps and bounds as if there were no bottleneck.
But whenever he thought of his second Divine Ability, it felt as though a thick darkness had fallen over his eyes.
Humans needed Immortal Destiny to break through to the Qi Refining Realm. What about him?
Would he need Immortal Destiny too?
Especially since he could produce Immortal Destiny himself. It would only take a long time—or he could pay with his lifespan.
But could he refine the Immortal Destiny he produced himself?
And there was the last line of his Divine Ability of Forming Bonds: Elm Seeds are the cause, fallen bonds the effect. After death, all living beings bound by a bond will nourish the one who formed it, accelerating their growth.
So if he refined the Immortal Destiny produced by his own Divine Ability, wouldn't he be caught in an endless loop?
But could he dare refine Immortal Destiny condensed by high-level cultivators?
Beyond that, his only option was the Immortal Destiny condensed by heaven and earth after each year's Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.
This kind of Immortal Destiny was also called Innate Immortal Destiny.
Yet the mysterious aura condensed within it was not as potent as that in Immortal Destiny formed by high-level cultivators.
If it had any advantage, it was probably that breakthroughs made with Innate Immortal Destiny tended to suit the user better.
The trouble was, Innate Immortal Destiny was extremely rare and often inconspicuous, making it hard to find.
Given enough time, it would slowly dissipate and return to heaven and earth.
Ninety-nine percent of Qi Refining cultivators broke through by using Immortal Destiny formed by high-level cultivators.
In Yu An's view, perhaps the Innate Immortal Destiny condensed by heaven and earth was the proper path.
As for the rest, whether it was Immortal Destiny formed by high-level cultivators or the Immortal Destiny he produced himself, it was all more likely to be mixed with something else.
The pity was that the world's voice was always in the hands of high-level cultivators. Ordinary people knew nothing, and even low-level cultivators might not be in the know.
Or perhaps there was some secret to it. Some Immortal Destiny was "poisoned," and some wasn't.
Without his Divine Ability of Forming Bonds, Yu An would never have made these connections, even if someone beat him to death.
And for ordinary people, how could they bring themselves to doubt the Immortal Destiny they had striven so hard to obtain?
Yu An felt that the Immortal Destiny he produced himself probably couldn't help him advance. He didn't dare refine the Immortal Destiny formed by high-level cultivators, either. Was he supposed to count on Innate Immortal Destiny condensed by heaven and earth?
The problem was, he couldn't move. How was he supposed to search for it?
And hoping someone else would find it and give it to him was even more of a pipe dream.
Who would be that foolish?
Of course, it was also possible that he was overthinking things. Perhaps once he reached a level equivalent to Perfection of Fetal Movement, he would break through naturally without needing Immortal Destiny.
That would be the best possible outcome.
For now, his most urgent task was undoubtedly to keep strengthening himself so he could withstand the approaching Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.
Even Old Man Yu had taken the trouble to surround him with stones. How could he not strengthen himself?
After all, his life depended on it.
Meanwhile, the group heading to New Moon Blessed Land continued trudging onward.
After what had happened at Chain Bridge, they paid much closer attention to the road ahead, staying alert for any dangers that might appear around them.
If they ran into one or two more powerful Demonic Beasts, they might all be wiped out.
Their encounter with the Water Origin Turtle had been a coincidence, but also inevitable.
The root of it all was last night's sudden storm, which had thrown every established plan into disarray.
With the threat of the approaching Black Annihilation Wind Disaster looming, no one dared to take chances. Humans and Demonic Beasts alike were hurrying back to the Blessed Land to take shelter.
It was no surprise that they had run into each other.
Otherwise, as in previous years, they would rarely have encountered any danger.
Perhaps that was why they hadn't run into any Tribulation Cultivators.
At this moment, the Tribulation Cultivators had either failed to react in time or were targeting wealthy settlements. They had no time to bother with a poor little settlement like Ox Ridge.
To make good time, no one stopped to rest. Even at noon, when hunger set in, they kept walking as they took out the dry rations they had prepared in advance.
"Uncle Dashan, this is the Spirit Rice my father steamed this morning. You can have it."
At her mother's instruction, Li Tiezhu's daughter, who had just turned ten, carried a lunchbox over to Yu Dashan.
Yu Dashan had been about to take out a plain rice cake when he froze for a moment. Then he said, "No, you and your little brother should eat it with your mother."
In truth, Yu Dashan also had some Spirit Rice in his pack. But he had planned to save it until they reached the Blessed Land. If he wanted to break through to Perfection of Fetal Movement as soon as possible, he had to be "extravagant."
He knew that Tiezhu's family wasn't well off either. Otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed behind in the settlement with his mother. The other family had clearly prepared the Spirit Rice to give to him.
Just like the long saber that morning.
Taking someone's things made it hard to refuse them; eating their food made it harder still. It was a simple, time-honored truth.
Especially after what had happened at Chain Bridge, Tiezhu's Wife understood even better what she needed to do. Her husband wasn't by her side, and she had two children with her. Right now, and even after they reached the Blessed Land, the only people she could rely on were the Yu brothers.
More precisely, Yu Dashan.
"Uncle Dashan, here."
Li Yue rose onto her tiptoes and thrust the lunchbox against Yu Dashan's chest. Without even waiting to see if he caught it, she let go and retreated. Then she obediently took the rice ball made from ordinary rice that her mother handed her and began eating in big bites.
Seeing this, Yu Dashan hesitated, but in the end, he didn't return it.
He could see how determined Tiezhu's Wife was.
With a sigh, Yu Dashan opened the lunchbox. Inside were three large bowls of Spirit Rice, about three catties in all.
After a moment's thought, Yu Dashan took one bowl and handed the rest to Yu Ershan. He had never liked using his head.
Yu Ershan took the lunchbox and immediately gave one bowl to Zhao Kun. Though the latter repeatedly refused, he still couldn't talk Yu Ershan out of it.
Zhao Kun then divided the bowl of steamed Spirit Rice between Zhao Jiadong and Zhao Cuilian.
Yu Ershan and Yu Xiaoshan shared a bowl with Tiezhu's two children.
No one thought anything was wrong with this arrangement.
It all seemed perfectly natural.
Quite a few people nearby saw them sharing the Spirit Rice and swallowed enviously, but that was all.
If Tiezhu's Wife had been alone, they might have tried to "borrow" a bowl.
But neither Yu Dashan nor Zhao Kun was someone to trifle with.
And Zhao Jiadong was always ready for a fight.
After they finished eating, they walked for nearly two more hours. After weathering a few minor setbacks, they finally reached the area covered by New Moon Blessed Land.
At that moment, almost everyone stopped in unison and gazed toward the New Moon Blessed Land not far away.
On May Day, should everyone be working? Or working?
Before you continue