The Old Man and the Gift

What is this...

Lin Suqing's legs felt weak, and she collapsed onto the ground. Because she was at the highest point of the Royal Court, she could now see the full form of the ferocious beast that had descended from the sky.

Four horns, human eyes, pig ears – no mistake!

It was the man-eating ferocious beast Zhuhuai, recorded in the ancient texts of the Human Domain!

Such a massive size, ten thousand years? Thirty thousand years?

Its height already exceeded two hundred zhang. Could such a colossal body truly not be crushed by its own weight?

Why would such a thing exist...

Why would a powerful ferocious beast, one that should have been hunted to extinction by the Immortals of our Human Domain, suddenly appear in the densely populated Northern Plains Clan's Royal Court...

Lord Cangxue, where is Lord Cangxue?

Hummm—

A visible shockwave emanated from the abyssal maw of the ferocious beast. Boundless water vapor was blown away, and cracks appeared on the ground, from which molten lava surged. The small lake that had been there was gone.

After roaring, the Zhuhuai beast's forehead lit up with fire, and its four massive horns began to flash with an orange-red glow.

The sky seemed to be covered in patches of fiery clouds.

Lin Suqing sensed the agitation of the spiritual energy. In that instant, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to be reduced to nothing but fire!

As the fire flickered, dozens of fireballs, each a hundred zhang in diameter, appeared out of thin air before the Zhuhuai beast. The fireballs paused for a moment before immediately shooting towards the Royal Court.

For a long time afterward, Lin Suqing would find it difficult to forget this scene:

The sky filled with fire rained down, engulfing half the Royal Court in flames. The crowds who couldn't escape in time were swallowed by the inferno;

The colossal beast, like a mountain, stepped forward. The earth cracked under the pressure of its massive feet, and lava surged from the ground, threatening to drown the entire grassland.

The sudden appearance of flames also startled most of the Bear Hug Tribe members, who had been frozen in shock.

Before it, the people were like ants, screaming in panic. The crowd that had followed Wu Wang out of the royal tent was on the verge of collapse.

"Everyone, don't panic!"

A furious roar!

A roar, still carrying a youthful voice, suddenly spread throughout the Royal Court!

Visible ice-blue energy gathered in the air. Right before the Zhuhuai beast's snout, a figure as tiny as a grain of rice raised its hand, holding aloft an already formed iceberg.

The iceberg was still growing!

Twelve stars shone in the sky, and endless starlight frantically filled the sharp edges of the iceberg, transforming it into an ice cone, into an ice spear!

The Great Star Sacrifice, Wu Wang!

The Zhuhuai beast completely ignored the 'threat' before it at this moment, not even glancing at the figure. It simply took a 'slow' step forward.

Wu Wang's voice, accompanying the starlight, once again spread for a hundred li:

"General San of the Bear Clan! Emergency Evacuation Plan Three!

Abandon the Royal Court immediately! Everyone leave now! Carry the elderly and children beside you! I will lure it away!

Sound the horns! Light the signal fires!"

Before the word 'fire' was even finished, the sharp ice spear, which had grown to dozens of zhang tall, was brought down with Wu Wang's right hand, smashing fiercely towards the Zhuhuai beast's forehead.

But...

The colossal beast didn't react at all. It continued to gaze at the Royal Court and step forward, letting the long, solid ice smash against its forehead.

It sounded like a mere pat.

The iceberg shattered instantly, only causing the beast's head to tremble slightly.

Wu Wang seemed to have expected this. As his cloak billowed, he once again drew down starlight;

Six crystal orbs flew out from his waist, quickly floating behind him before shattering together, condensing into a 'six-pointed snowflake' several zhang in diameter.

Star Invocation Technique: Extreme Cold Wind!

Ice spears, each a zhang long, rapidly formed around Wu Wang. Then, with whistling sounds that tore through the air, they furiously shot towards the beast's face.

The helmet on the young beast's upper jaw obscured Wu Wang's face, making it impossible to tell his expression.

He spun his body, like a tiny snowflake dancing before the Zhuhuai beast's head.

This time, Wu Wang pressed closer, directly towards the beast's right pupil.

He absolutely could not let it unleash fireballs again!

"Look at me!"

Wu Wang roared, hoping to attract some of its aggression this way; but the colossal beast remained unresponsive, continuing its original pace forward.

Even when the ice spears struck its supposedly most vulnerable eyes, they couldn't draw even a drop of blood.

Veins bulged on Wu Wang's arm, and transparent feathers rapidly condensed behind him.

Poof!

A pair of wings forged from ice crystals appeared behind Wu Wang. The icy wings flapped rapidly, carrying him soaring into the sky.

If the front approach wouldn't work, then he'd come from above!

He was the closest. If he didn't step forward to draw the attention of this ferocious beast, who else could?

Inside and outside the Royal Court, the panicked crowds seemed to have found a pillar of support, awakening memories of their ancestors who had pioneered and survived in the Northern Plains years ago.

General Xiong San stared at the figure charging into the sky and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Young Master, hurry and escape! This is no ordinary ten-thousand-year-old ferocious beast!"

But he had no Star Invocation Technique available, and his loud voice alone couldn't reach Wu Wang.

What did the Young Master just say? The third emergency evasion plan...

"Ah!"

Xiong San gritted his teeth and stomped his foot. He turned and began to roar incessantly. The wolf riders continuously relayed his shouts, and the area around the Royal Court instantly became a cacophony of voices.

Men and women, as strong as iron towers, stepped forward, hoisted the figures beside them onto their shoulders, and ran towards the pioneer settlement.

The giant wolves, their legs too weak to gallop, were now also carried on their owners' shoulders, galloping rapidly towards the north and south, avoiding the west, which was directly in front of the colossal beast.

All the Priests...

Priests...

General Xiong San suddenly turned and saw those scattered figures in long robes.

They were bowing and praying to the ferocious beast.

"Carry them away too! What are you praying for at a time like this!"

Meanwhile, within the Royal Court engulfed in flames.

"What are you doing?"

Amidst the raging inferno, Lin Suqing flung water orbs. Her body was enveloped in spiritual energy, her long skirt adhered with a divine movement talisman, and she was doing her utmost to save people.

As she moved, she stopped with a hint of confusion, looking at a group of people gathered together, continuously bowing towards the ferocious beast in the distance.

These people were clad in the robes of Priests. At this moment, their faces were filled with terror, their voices choked with tears, yet they repeatedly cried out, "This is a gift from the Star God," and "Thank the Star God for His bestowal."

"What are you doing?"

Lin Suqing asked again, looking at this group of old Priests, whose strength was comparable to the cultivators of the Human Domain, "You call this a gift?

This is a ferocious beast!

This is a man-eating ferocious beast!

Shouldn't you be supporting the Young Master? The Young Master is going to lure away this ferocious beast to cover everyone's retreat, and you, what are you doing kneeling here?!"

The figures merely prostrated themselves in worship, offering no response to Lin Suqing's shouts and questions.

"Sigh."

A soft sigh suddenly reached her ears.

"Miss Lin, please don't blame them.

In the Northern Plains, beasts that descend from the sky are gifts bestowed by the Star Gods. It's just that sometimes, these gifts exceed our capacity to bear them."

Lin Suqing turned her head. First, she saw the young girl pushing the wheelchair, and then her gaze fell upon the frail and aged figure being pushed by the girl.

This wheelchair was clearly a creation of the Young Master.

And this aged figure, Lin Suqing had seen her once before – it was Wu Wang's grandmother, the former Chief Priest of the Bear Hug Tribe.

"Miss Lin," the old Chief Priest asked gently, "could you carry me to the front?

My clan won't let this old bone of mine take risks, but I am the only one who can help my grandson now."

"You..."

Lin Suqing's voice trembled slightly, her gaze flickering for a moment, but she quickly made up her mind.

High in the sky, the air was already thin.

Wu Wang spread his arms, rapidly chanting incantations. The ice wings on his back greedily absorbed the Star Power.

An ice mountain took shape beneath his feet once more. The twelve stars above seemed within reach, while the earth below, already showing a curve, emitted billowing smoke.

The ice mountain was fifty zhang in diameter and over a hundred zhang tall.

Wu Wang suddenly lowered his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. An intense dizziness washed over him; this was his limit.

But it wasn't enough!

This ferocious beast could sustain such a massive body; its physical strength must have reached an astonishing level!

Every time the giant beast stomped on the ground, what appeared to be volcanic eruptions was actually the product of the ferocious beast's own 'force field,' strengthening the ground's bearing capacity to prevent itself from sinking into the earth.

This kind of ferocious beast, this beast called a gift from the Star God, had too many legends in the Northern Plains.

Attacking clans was their usual practice!

The most recent incident was three hundred years ago when the once most prosperous Kuafu Clan of the Northern Plains was suddenly attacked by a ferocious beast of this magnitude one night.

The Kuafu Tribe's royal court had been turned into a sea of fire, and the clan was utterly defeated, now ranking even below the Bear Hug Tribe!

Why would such a ferocious beast be summoned?

Had the help he secretly provided to the clan disrupted the balance of the Northern Plains?

Shaking his head vigorously, Wu Wang banished these thoughts. He bit down hard on his tongue, his eyes filling with blood.

The iceberg beneath his feet began to grow once more.

Wu Wang brought his hands back to his chest and rapidly formed seals. Layers of fierce winds attached themselves to the outside of the iceberg.

The entire iceberg now resembled a rapidly spinning top.

If you directly threw an iceberg from high in the sky, it would melt from the heat generated by air resistance before it even hit the ground, merely serving to give the ferocious beast a shower.

However, the combination of wind and ice-based Star Invocation Techniques could cleverly protect the iceberg, preventing it from coming into contact with the heat of friction, and also allow for adjustments to its trajectory as it fell.

Wu Wang wouldn't dare claim this was the correct way to utilize Star Invocation Techniques.

But this was the absolute limit of what Wu Wang could do at this moment!

Wu Wang flipped his body, ice wings spreading from his back, and placed his hands on the iceberg.

The necklace around his neck slipped from his collar and floated before Wu Wang. The emerald-green gem pulsed with a soft light.

Mom, are you alright?

If she hasn't appeared in this situation, she must be in trouble.

Closing his eyes, Wu Wang took a deep breath.

Success or failure rests on this one move!

I must give everyone enough time to evacuate!

A buzzing sound filled his ears. The starlight around the iceberg dissipated, fierce winds swirled, and it plummeted downwards!

The ground.

At the edge of the fleeing crowd in the area engulfed by flames.

Lin Suqing, enveloped in a protective aura, carried the elder chief, whose body had withered with age, on her back, flying close to the ground.

The moment she picked up the old man, Lin Suqing's heart tightened.

He was so light.

And his body was frail, with little life left.

"Miss Lin, involving you in this disaster is a failure of our Bear Hug Tribe's hospitality."

"The Young Master has saved my life," Lin Suqing replied quickly. "Chief, there's no need to be formal with me."

"Alas," the old man looked up at the giant beast that was rapidly approaching and said slowly, "It was our Bear Hug Tribe's strength that disrupted the balance of the Northern Plains... We need to go further. I don't have enough confidence at this distance."

"Okay."

Lin Suqing responded, holding her breath and concentrating. The aura around her shifted into a sword shape. Two talismans floated up on their own, sticking to her back, increasing her speed once more.

The old man's sigh sounded strained:

"Miss Lin, please tell Ba'er that he did nothing wrong. Because of his brilliant ideas, no one in the clan will starve to death anymore.

And don't blame the clan's priests for only praying. They have prayed to the Star Gods their entire lives.

When the Star Gods' will descended as this giant beast, how many people could have imagined that resistance was even possible?

My grandmother lived for over six hundred years and should have understood everything. She still worried if she would face punishment from the Star Gods after death, let alone the others."

"Senior, what can we do?"

Lin Suqing asked, her voice trembling. The closer they got to the giant beast, the more her Dao heart vibrated.

The old man said gently, "Look at the sky."

Lin Suqing looked up as instructed. The iceberg, wrapped in layers of fiery 'petals,' was falling rapidly!

The light of ice and fire intertwined, and fierce winds carved streaks of azure across the sky and earth.

The old man's cloudy eyes held a hint of relief:

"He always has all sorts of wild and imaginative ideas. I've only seen someone utilize Star Invocation Techniques like this once in so many years.

The Northern Plains are truly too small for him.

Miss Lin, please take me this far. This is enough."

Lin Suqing quickly stopped, kneeling to allow Wu Wang's grandmother's feet to land steadily.

The old woman, wrapped in a coarse linen scarf and wearing a wide robe, walked forward with some effort. She cupped her left hand, and a long wooden staff materialized out of thin air. She then grasped it with both hands, supporting her body.

Afterward, the cuff of her wide robe slipped, and she knelt, bowing deeply towards the giant beast.

Lin Suqing heard the old woman's low murmur...

"I, who spent my entire life believing in, praising, and looking up to the Star Gods, should be grateful for their blessings.

But who wouldn't want to protect their family?"

"Light of the stars, please envelop me;

Sky and earth, please return to peace.

Ancient deities stand in the starry sky. Humble beings implore your meager protection. The light of the sun and moon is but a fleeting mask; only the stars are eternal.

"Stars!"

The old man's voice suddenly grew loud. His withered form stood tall, leaning on his staff, and he walked forward step by step!

The sky, originally reflecting firelight, was filled with stars. Two intersecting star rivers bloomed with countless stellar splendors.

The earth trembled. The great grassland was like a sea surface with surging waves, and layers of ripples appeared on the ground.

Lin Suqing saw...

Brilliant light shone around the old man, the ultimate divine sense!

A powerful pressure spread from around the old man, even obscuring the monstrous beast's body!

The old man raised his wooden staff high. Heaven and earth seemed to freeze at this moment. Boundless starlight converged at the tip of the wooden staff, surging towards the earth.

Clang!

With a clear sound, the wooden staff touched the earth, and nothing seemed to happen.

But in the distance!

Look into the distance!

The giant beast's body, which had been moving 'slowly,' suddenly stopped. The light flashing on its forehead instantly dissipated, the lava it stepped out with its giant foot ceased to surge, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground.

A fierce wind swept through the air, blowing away the heatwaves. The ice mountain, like the spear of galloping gods, descended fiercely.

Great Star Invocation Technique: Ice Star Fall!

For the first time, the Zhuhuai beast's eyes, which resembled human eyes, flickered. Its pupils shifted upward, staring intently at the rapidly enlarging ice blue!

A roar echoed through the heavens.

"Miss Lin."

The old man looked at the collapsing earth in the distance, the trapped giant beast, the ice mountain that had firmly struck the beast's neck, and the young man who had safely glided through the air. He smiled peacefully.

The divine light around the old man dissipated, and the light in his eyes slowly faded. The stars had vanished from the sky.

"The Human Domain has no gods, right?"

"Mm."

"What a... wonderful place..."

The old man murmured. His already small body slowly sat down, leaning on his staff, and slowly lowered his aged head.

"Alas... Great and noble Star God, your humble servant begs for your forgiveness..."