Emperor Suanni

"Boom!"

Suddenly, from the deepest reaches of the Great Wilderness, a sky-piercing blaze erupted, brilliant and intense, as a bird's cry shook the heavens and shattered the firmament!

The crimson fire was so overwhelming it seemed to burn the very sky to collapse. A Little Red Bird streaked across the void, its divine might truly astonishing!

With a "humming" sound, a massive golden claw reached down from the dense clouds, vast enough to blot out the sky, and swiped at the crimson bird with incomparable ferocity.

"Chi!"

"Ah, it's the Little Red Bird I saw before!" Little One exclaimed, his eyes widening. He had only just woken up, yet he was already witnessing this earth-shattering scene.

"What on earth is happening? Could it be that the great battle from two years ago hasn't ended, and the most powerful Primordial Remnants are still guarding the Mountain Treasure, still fighting over it?!" Shi Yunfeng was also stunned.

The Mountain Treasure is about to emerge! Shi Lin thought, a brilliant light shining in his eyes.

"Boom!"

The massive golden claw reached down once more, its demonic power overwhelming. It scattered the crimson flames; it was impossible to imagine how large the creature's true body was, given that just one golden claw was already hovering above the clouds!

In the deepest part of the mountain range, a fierce battle erupted, as if from a myth. Every time that sky-covering golden claw descended, it crushed a mountain ridge. The crimson little bird was no less impressive, turning many peaks into magma. Red liquid erupted toward the firmament like rivers of fire connecting heaven and earth, yet those were merely the shockwaves—the true battle was taking place high in the sky!

The crimson bird was only a palm's length long, its feathers a vivid, dripping red, yet it was incredibly valiant. It plunged into the thick clouds to engage in a grand duel with that unknown, terrifying creature.

The people of Stone Village watched, dumbfounded, a chill running down their spines. Rumors said that some Primordial Remnants were so powerful they defied imagination, capable of covering the sky with a single hand and easily wiping out an entire super-clan, like gods themselves. Now, it seemed those rumors were true!

"What a pity, we can't see it anymore..."

The leaden clouds were thick, and a strange power isolated everything. People could not peer through, unaware of what kind of battle was unfolding above the firmament.

"So Little Red is this strong," Little One said softly, resting his chin in his hands and blinking his large eyes.

Half an hour later, the depths of the mountain range grew calm, yet the fire clouds did not disperse. They continued to linger, and the horizon remained a deep crimson, as if stained by a layer of divine blood.

"An eventful autumn. I truly wonder what kind of Mountain Treasure it is. They have been fighting for two years—is there still no result?" the village chief, Shi Yunfeng, wondered aloud.

"The Mountain Treasure must be heaven-defying!" Shi Linhu said.

There were all sorts of strange phenomena in the innermost reaches of the mountains, and no one from Stone Village had ever ventured deep enough to know what kind of treasure was truly gestating there.

Over the next half-month, the deepest part of the mountains remained peaceful. No fierce battles occurred, and people almost forgot about that heart-stopping clash.

Stone Village.

Shi Lin and Little One, Shi Hao, were sitting before the Suanni Treasure Bone.

Both were curious about this bone, but unable to understand the inscriptions upon it, they could only sit and ponder in silence.

Shi Lin reached out to touch the Treasure Bone. However, the moment he made contact, a golden light suddenly erupted from his body. Instantly, the Suanni Treasure Bone burst forth with brilliant runes, filling the air.

Blue runes radiated divine brilliance, shooting light into the sky. The runes circled the bone, flashing incessantly.

This is! Shi Lin recalled the last time this golden light appeared, the Green-Scaled Eagle had successfully undergone atavism to become a Purple Emperor Immortal Eagle.

Is it evolving again? Could this golden light be so heaven-defying that it can even evolve a Treasure Bone? Wang Quan wondered inwardly.

"Wow! Such pretty runes!" little Shi Hao chirped in his milky voice.

Suddenly, a blue halo appeared on the surface of the previously pearly-white bone, spreading from the center across the entire surface.

A fierce howl resonated through the mountains and rivers; the Suanni Treasure Bone had completely evolved.

The bone now appeared entirely blue, with the mark of a Suanni at its center and the character for "Emperor" inscribed above it.

"Wow! The Treasure Bone changed its look, it's so pretty!" Shi Hao shouted.

"The Treasure Bone evolved!" Shi Lin was shocked.

The golden light gradually faded, and everything returned to normal.

Shi Lin and Shi Hao fiddled with the bone, observing the runes, but they were stumped and could only scratch their heads.

Village Chief Shi Yunfeng walked over.

"Grandpa Chief, what does this mean? I don't understand it," little Shi Hao asked, pointing to a rune on the bone.

"These runes are quite profound," Shi Lin remarked.

"I don't understand them either; my knowledge is limited," Shi Yunfeng said with a wry smile.

"But I can tell you what I do know!"

"Grandpa Chief, tell us, tell us!"

"Awoo, Grandpa Chief is giving a lecture again, everyone come listen!" a group of children shouted.

A group of children gathered around the village chief, Shi Yunfeng.

Ever since they saw Shi Lin and Little One learn to use Bone Text, everyone had been eager. Thus, every time Shi Yunfeng gave a lecture, everyone would crowd around to listen.

"Bone Text is a mysterious runic script created by the human race by observing and imitating the primal imprints of other species. This is merely a tool; the ultimate goal is to transform it into your own power," Shi Yunfeng said.

"Grandpa Chief, please explain it slowly," Little One said, his thirst for knowledge strong, his large eyes bright and clear.

Shi Yunfeng patted his head and said, "In the distant primordial era, when humanity was still in its infancy, the Great Dao was established, and the eternal principles were laid out."

The old village chief explained slowly, resolving their doubts from the source and sharing everything he knew. It stirred a sense of longing within them, a process akin to "planting the Dao."

"The order and truth of the universe are laid out within nature. All things have spirits, and certain wise races favored by the heavens are the representatives of this. The true meaning of the Dao is manifested tangibly within them."

"Grandpa Chief, are you talking about those primordial runes, the imprints branded onto the treasure bones of Primordial Remnants?" Little One's eyes were incredibly bright and alert.

"You are very clever." The Chief smiled, praising him.

"The ancestors of old noticed these long ago. While battling wild, prehistoric beasts, they slowly groped their way toward certain laws of heaven and earth, gradually comprehending simple divine abilities through the remains of these supreme creatures."

Bone Text developed precisely because of this; the human race borrowed the methods of other species to explore the order of heaven and earth, finally rising from weakness to prosperity step by step.

"It is a pity that true human supremes are pitifully few, while the primordial fierce beasts are truly too powerful. If even one appears, it could wipe out several great human clans with a mere wave of its hand."

Relatively speaking, the human race is still very weak, while many other species stand high above, as if they were gods!

In fact, the ancient ancestors had faith and often worshipped deities, which in reality was just them bowing to some supreme creature.

"Grandpa Chief, please tell me more details." Little One was very eager, wanting to understand more about the past and the fierce beasts that were as powerful as gods.

"My knowledge is limited. Grandpa has only traveled eighty thousand li. Although that sounds astonishing, we do not know how many eighty-thousand-li stretches exist in this vast region. Conservatively estimated, one would need to travel at least several million li to possibly reach the end."

Shi Yunfeng whispered. The places he had been to did not seem small, but relative to this great region, they were merely a corner, not to mention the mysterious worlds beyond the edge of the earth; those other great regions were simply beyond comprehension.

"Learning ten thousand scrolls of law is not as good as traveling ten thousand li. One day, if you are strong enough, you should go see the outside world for yourself. Grandpa is old; I no longer have the opportunity, nor do I have the ability." Shi Yunfeng sighed softly.

"Grandpa, I know you have hidden injuries. In the future, I will definitely harvest the legendary heavenly treasure medicines to heal your body and take you with me to see the outside world." Little One said.

Shi Yunfeng felt a bit bitter, but he was also very happy. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out as he laughed, "As long as you grow up safely and everything goes smoothly, Grandpa will have nothing to worry about."

A breeze blew, and on the charred, thick Willow Tree, a crystalline tender branch swayed with the wind. A group of children sat huddled around the old man, listening to him preach beneath the tree.

"Mastering Bone Text is like picking up a broadsword or holding a crossbow, but what if you put these weapons down? The foundation of cultivation is to strengthen your own self."

Some children were confused, while others were suddenly enlightened, lost in thought.

"Bone Text is only a form, a means. You must truly transform it into your own power for it to be the right path; otherwise, everything is like duckweed without roots. Only by making your own body strong can you succeed."

"What must we do to achieve that?"

"Transform the Bone Text into a part of yourself, so that your flesh and bones become like those races favored by the heavens, merging and harmonizing with the nature of heaven and earth. Otherwise, imitation will always be just imitation, and it will be difficult to unleash true power."

The Chief explained. According to him, Bone Text should be like skin, hair, and flesh—truly fused with oneself, becoming a part of the body to be considered one's own power.

"Chief, teach us quickly."

"Don't be anxious, take it slow." Shi Yunfeng said.

In fact, using runes drains one's own vital energy. Using a precious technique consumes a massive amount, and if one battles continuously, it may harm the body and weaken one's blood essence.

Strictly speaking, learning Bone Text is fine if one does not succeed, but if one does succeed and is at a certain stage, constant use will cause serious harm to the body.

Hearing the Chief's detailed explanation, the children's faces turned pale.

"Do not be afraid, just be a little careful. As long as you don't act recklessly and constantly unleash primordial precious techniques, you will be fine. You haven't mastered the profound mysteries of precious techniques like Little One and Lin. Moreover, even if you lose some vital energy, it can be replenished."

This is not only the case for Stone Village's Bone Text; it is the same for the great clans of the outside world. If one wants to achieve something, one must do this in the beginning; everyone must go through this stage to enter the path.

Once they truly entered the path and reached a certain level of attainment, it would become a different method of cultivation. The Chief brought over several bone scriptures and taught the final runes to Little One and Shi Lin.

In the days that followed, the Chief preached every day, teaching the children according to their individual needs.

Shi Lin and Shi Hao practiced the runes on the Suanni treasure bone every day, growing stronger with each passing day.

"Let the runes dissolve into the body, becoming rays of light, becoming divine radiance. Each rune is like an eternal divine furnace, situated in every inch of flesh and blood, tempering the creations of heaven and earth, drawing divine essence into the body, and from then on, completely transforming the body and spirit." This was their path forward.

In just a few days, the two of them had achieved extraordinary results.

When Shi Lin unleashed his precious technique again, every inch of his flesh glowed, and runes flickered, as if countless treasure furnaces were continuously providing vital energy and spirit, making him feel full of vigor and his entire body comfortable.

Practicing the Emperor Suanni Precious Technique in this state, his movements became increasingly proficient, and he made progress day by day.