The Land is Devastated

Suddenly, a streak of crimson lightning tore across the sky, dazzlingly bright. In an instant, it dyed the entire heavens red, as if a vast swathe of sunset clouds had appeared.

A fiery-red bird, its whole body crystalline and its feathers vivid as fresh blood, no bigger than a palm, fell from the sky and crashed down in front of the great willow tree at the village entrance.

"Ah, Little Red!" Little One sprang to his feet and rushed over.

The bird was crimson all over. After it landed, all its divine radiance drew inward, and its red feathers dimmed. A dreadful wound ran through its chest and abdomen, nearly cleaving it in two. Several claw holes marred its head as well, almost piercing its skull.

"Could it be the Vermilion Bird?" Shi Lin murmured from nearby.

The crimson bird was in a terrible state, its injuries severe. Terrifying runes flickered faintly within its wounds, still destroying its vitality.

Little One didn't dare act rashly. The moment the little red bird had crashed down, it had scorched the ground. It was like a furnace, radiating a terrifying heat.

"Little Red, what happened to you?" Little One asked softly.

Only the bird's eyes weren't red. Their black-and-white pupils were as clear as gemstones. It rolled its eyes at him, its resentful, indignant look making Little One feel a little embarrassed. He scratched his head.

"Little Red, does it hurt?" After a long pause, that was all Little One managed to ask. The crimson bird opened its eyes wide and glared at him indignantly, showing him nothing but the whites, as if it were furious.

A red bird had fallen from the sky, leaving the children stunned. Could this be the little bird Little One had always talked about, the one he'd once chased out of the village all by himself?

But those who knew what they were seeing—the chief and several very old villagers—were rooted to the spot. Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao, meanwhile, had their hair standing on end. They didn't dare move, afraid of provoking the little red bird.

They had once glimpsed a fiery-red little bird battling in the Vast Mountain Range, burning half the sky to ashes. The scene had been so terrifying that they would never forget it.

Now, as the crimson bird fell from the heavens, it dyed the horizon red, as though sunset clouds had spilled across it. No one needed to think hard to feel their scalp tingle. This was most likely that supremely powerful creature.

"Come here, child," Shi Yunfeng said quietly, afraid of angering the little red bird as he called Little One back.

"Grandpa, it's all right. I know Little Red is powerful, but I can't sense any killing intent. It doesn't bear Stone Village any ill will," Little One explained, his big eyes blinking.

The crimson bird lay on the ground, eyes wide. It opened its beak and spat a faint wisp of rosy light onto a massive boulder. With a soft puff, a thread of smoke rose. The entire boulder melted into a pool of lava that flowed across the ground, radiating unbearable heat and making everyone's faces sting.

Everyone was horrified. That had only been a tiny wisp of rosy light, not even true flames, yet it was already so terrifyingly hot. Thinking of what they'd witnessed before—the flames filling the sky, burning nonstop for half a month—what kind of divine might had that been?!

Everyone held their breath for Little One. Shi Feijiao and the others cautiously edged forward, hoping to drag him away.

"Little Red, don't be angry. Look, even smoke is rising from your head. Be careful with those beautiful red feathers of yours. It'd be such a shame if they burned off," Little One said.

A tuft of red feathers atop the little bird's head shimmered with rosy light, every feather standing on end. It was clearly furious. But after a moment, it actually calmed down, staring at Little One with a strange look that lingered.

"Grandpa, look. Little Red is kind. It isn't angry anymore." Little One smiled happily, his smile sweet and pure. He wanted so badly to pick the little red bird up.

The fiery-red bird beat its wings and struggled to its feet. Runes flashed within the wound across its chest and abdomen, continuing to destroy its vitality.

"You came to find Willow Deity, didn't you? Last time you came, you landed on its trunk. Are you hoping it'll heal your wounds this time?" Little One asked.

"Hmph!" The little red bird was displeased at having its thoughts guessed by a child. It gave a crisp snort, ignored him, and turned its gaze toward the willow tree.

The thick, charred willow stood silent. Its one dim branch, swaying in the wind, silently drooped down and gradually began to glow green.

The crimson bird chirped softly and struggled a few steps forward. Facing the tender green branch, it revealed its wounds and let the last flicker of flame die away.

A glistening drop of sap appeared on the branch, like a bead of jade dew. It radiated rosy light and gave off a delicate fragrance, leaving everyone in Stone Village feeling refreshed.

The willow branch drooped, and its tender shoot touched the fiery-red bird. Translucent sap trickled down and seeped into the terrible wound. At once, flames blazed there and runes flashed incessantly. The little red bird chirped softly, its body trembling as though in great pain while it struggled to endure.

The willow branch swayed. Several more drops of sap appeared, rolling among the tender leaves. Each was crystalline, like a celestial pearl, shimmering with multicolored light and giving off a rich fragrance. When the drops fell, the runes gradually vanished, and the wound that had pierced through the bird's chest and abdomen closed completely. Its pain seemed to ease greatly.

Then the green-glowing shoots drooped toward its head. Crystalline sap trickled down, and the several claw holes on the little red bird's head slowly disappeared. Its grave injuries had now been completely healed.

A flash of firelight passed. The little red bird's whole body blazed crimson, its feathers dazzling so brightly that no one could keep their eyes open. Boundless divine radiance flowed around it. It looked brilliant and resplendent, utterly transformed from what it had been moments ago.

The villagers were aghast. Though the crimson bird was only palm-sized, it radiated a heaven-shaking divine might. They felt as if they were facing an ancient Heavenly God, and nearly collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, the great willow radiated a halo that dispelled this heavenly might.

Farther away, near the lake, the five-colored birds, the Unicorn, and the others all bowed toward this place as if on a pilgrimage, repeatedly paying homage.

The little red bird was in a very good mood. It chirped cheerfully a few times, withdrew its divine might, and bounced about on the spot. Then it spoke to the willow tree in a clear, melodious human voice: "I owe you a great debt."

The charred willow made no sound. Its tender green branches swayed, pointing toward all the villagers.

The crimson bird looked spirited, its earlier listlessness gone. Its feathers were crystalline and bright, and it was brimming with vitality once more.

With a ringing clang, one red feather fell from its body, radiating light like bolts of lightning. It was extraordinarily wondrous. With a hiss, it embedded itself in a boulder.

"Keep this safe. If anyone comes looking for trouble, show it to them!" Its voice was exceptionally lovely, clear and melodious as jade beads falling onto a tray. It was obviously giving them a token.

But as soon as the red feather pierced the boulder, the rock melted into a pool of lava. Crimson light flowed through it, the liquid boiled, and the molten area rapidly spread.

Everyone backed away. The heat was simply too intense.

The little red bird was startled. It glanced at the villagers, then opened its beak and inhaled. The red feather blazed with light and flashed fiercely, and wisps of divine radiance rose from it, flowing into the bird's mouth.

It drew out the feather's vital essence, leaving behind only a bright, vivid red plume. Then it nodded to the willow tree and soared into the sky.

"Little Red, come visit again sometime!" Little One stood at the village entrance, waving with all his might.

The crimson bird faltered in midair, nearly plummeting. It looked back and glared fiercely at him, then burst with rosy light and shot toward the horizon without looking back.

"Keep this feather safe!" Chief Shi Yunfeng said solemnly. This tiny red feather was of immense importance; no one would mistake it for an ordinary feather.

It was a long time before things settled down. The villagers began exploring their new surroundings.

A group of children shouted excitedly as they ran along the beautiful, grassy lakeshore, discussing how they could catch Dragon-Whisker Fish to strengthen their bones and muscles. They were growing ever more eager for strength.

The Little Luan Bird, its wings brightly colored and its body two meters long, leisurely swam toward the lake without the slightest fear of the children. The dozens of Unicorns were wary of the adult men, but paid the children no mind at all.

The villagers discovered that this place was truly ideal for settling down. There were no particularly ferocious beasts, and the nearby forests teemed with prey. Fierce birds and wild beasts could be found there, but none were too hard to handle.

The nearby lake held every kind of fish imaginable. Dragon-Whisker Fish, in particular, were precious tonics. They made every villager grin from ear to ear. In the past, even the direct descendants of the Purple Mountain Lineage, the Lei Clan, and the Golden Wolf Tribe couldn't have enjoyed such precious, strength-boosting fish every day so extravagantly.

"We should go explore the outside world. We need to find out where we are, how far we are from our old home in the Vast Mountain Range, and what's become of the place where we used to live," Shi Linhu said.

"Uncle, let me go. I'll go with Auntie Green-Scaled Eagle and take a good look around."

"We'll go together," Shi Lin said.

As a group of children looked on enviously, Little One climbed onto the Green-Scaled Eagle's back. Shi Lin leaped up after him. The eagle spread its silver wings. Wind howled as they soared skyward and vanished into the clouds.

The fierce bird was highly sensitive to direction. It circled once at high altitude, then quickly flew off in one direction, like a silver bolt of lightning, moving at incredible speed.

"Ah! What happened? Why are these mountains split apart?" Little Shi Hao exclaimed. They had flown only a few hundred li when he spotted the strange state of the land below.

The earth was cracked and lifeless. Mountains and rivers had been utterly torn apart, their vitality extinguished.

As they ventured farther, he saw shattered walls and ruins. One enormous city after another had been destroyed and reduced to vast rubble. Bloodstains were everywhere, but there were no corpses. They traveled thousands of li without seeing a single person. Only traces of blood remained, and many great tribes had been wiped out. This vast land had become a dead zone.

"It's a complete massacre," Shi Lin said in a low voice.

"That's an enormous footprint!"

High above, level with the clouds, they could clearly see an enormous footprint on the ground. It had crushed a mountain range, shattering countless peaks!

Little One was stunned. What kind of enormous creature could have made it?

They continued onward. Several abysses appeared below, vast and black as a starless night. But on closer inspection, they turned out to be claw marks, gouged into the earth by some fierce bird.

"This bird of prey..." Little Shi Hao stared blankly.

The Green-Scaled Eagle shuddered. It was a tremor born from the soul, awe before a supreme creature. They were both birds, but the gap between them was truly immense.

Farther ahead, thousands of li of land lay scorched and barren. The entire mountain range had melted, leaving nothing but a charred wasteland.

"Could this have happened because Little Red was driven into a corner?" Little One murmured.

The Green-Scaled Eagle was exceptionally intelligent. It circled above these battlefields for a long time, sensing that supreme fighting spirit as if it had gained some insight. The traces left by the birds' battles, in particular, were of great help to it.

"Auntie Green, when Ziyun and Dapeng can fly, I'll bring them here to learn from these places," Little One said.

The Green-Scaled Eagle gave a long cry in reply, showing its appreciation for Little One's intelligence and thoughtfulness.

They flew farther on. Endless mountain ranges had collapsed, many of them swept completely flat. Thousands of towering peaks had been neatly sheared off. The sight was terrifying!