Supreme Bone

This was a magnificent complex of architecture, permeated with spiritual energy and shimmering with the glow of treasures. Palaces stood in clusters, as if a celestial court had been built upon the mortal realm, with auspicious beasts crouching and roaring as they guarded the gates. "Father shot and killed the cub of a Pixiu with an extremely pure bloodline. This... this has invited a great disaster!" A young man with a striking and imposing appearance paced back and forth within the palace, looking deeply unsettled.

The prince's mansion was wreathed in swirling mists of light, with rare birds crying out above the palaces, tracing dazzling streaks of color. Within the estate, the lakes were clear and interconnected, stone mountains stood firm, and lush, beautiful trees grew in abundance. The gardens were vast and sprawling, the scenery magnificent. It was a true blessed land, overflowing with divine essence.

"I hope Father can withdraw from the Hundred Clans Battlefield as soon as possible." A beautiful woman held a small infant, her brows locked in a deep frown, filled with worry.

"It is too late for such talk. The news has already reached the Imperial Capital. The shooting of the Pixiu cub must have happened many days ago; whatever was meant to happen has likely already come to pass." The young man clenched his fists, his sword-like brows standing on end. Lightning flickered in his eyes, and the room began to rumble with the sound of thunder.

The sleeping infant opened his pure, large eyes, unaware of the situation.

"Don't frighten the child," the beautiful woman said.

"These past few days have been too agonizing; I even neglected Hao'er. Why is he so prone to sleep, and why do I feel the aura of runes within his body now?" The young man turned around.

"Oh, you noticed it too? I thought it was just my imagination. He is so young, how could runes appear in his body?" The young woman asked, filled with doubt.

"Could it be..." The heroic man suddenly opened his eyes wide, two bolts of electricity shooting out of the window, startling a group of auspicious birds into screeching and taking flight.

"What have you thought of?" the beautiful woman asked.

"Among the true powerhouses of the human race, some eventually give birth to a Holy Bone, manifesting their own original imprint and possessing their own exclusive original precious technique!" The man's voice was resonant and firm, then turned excited. "There are a rare few who are born with an original precious bone, like the Golden-Winged Dapeng or the True Hou. It is innate, and the precious technique it produces is enough to look down upon the world. To call it a Supreme Bone is no exaggeration!"

The beautiful woman was shocked upon hearing this, a look of disbelief appearing on her face as she looked at the cute infant in her arms, her hands trembling with nervousness.

"Let me examine him carefully!" The young man was decisive and strode over.

The infant was curious, not knowing what they were doing. He blinked his large eyes and happily reached out his small arms, wanting to be held.

After a thorough examination, the man was shocked, his fingers trembling. Even he, usually calm and resolute, could barely speak clearly. "Supreme Bone... innate!"

What did this mean? In the future, this child could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with ancient celestial-tier beasts, could battle the pure-blooded Golden-Winged Dapeng and True Hou. His unique original precious technique would shock the world and be inscribed in the history of the human race.

The woman took the infant, gently kissing his rosy little face, her eyes shining with brilliant light. "Regardless of whether he has a Supreme Bone or not, he is our child. We must let him grow up happily."

Several days later, news arrived from the Hundred Clans Battlefield: that adult Pixiu had been unstoppable, bathing in blood and going mad, sweeping across the vast battlefield. No one was its match.

Even with a host of experts by his side, Fifteenth Master could not hold it back. He was hunted for hundreds of thousands of miles, had one of his arms torn off, and nearly every bone in his body was shattered.

In the end, he was helped by others, who used several precious bones of ancient remnants to set up a divine array, finally allowing him to escape with his life. However, his whereabouts remained unknown.

He had suffered grievous injuries, and it was hard to say if he could survive. He had simply vanished, his life or death uncertain, and he did not return to the capital.

"No, I must go find Father!" Upon receiving the news, the young man stood up abruptly, deciding to head to the Southern Frontier.

"The clan has already dispatched a large number of experts, and the Human Emperor has issued a decree for all the lords to search and provide aid. What difference can you make by going?" The young woman feared her husband would act impulsively and risk his life against that Pixiu.

"Father's life or death is unknown. No matter what, I must go and do my best to find him!" The man was resolute, insisting on going.

The beautiful woman knew her husband's temper; once he decided on something, he would not change his mind. But she was truly worried about him seeking out that terrifying Pixiu. "I will go with you. There are two precious techniques that require us to act together to reach their peak; their power is peerless."

"No, you must take care of Hao'er!" the man refused.

"How can I be at ease leaving you?" The woman shook her head, her expression gentle. "There are so many people in the clan; surely they can take good care of little Hao? Unless an ancient beast attacks the Imperial Capital, who would dare to cause trouble in our prince's mansion?" The man thought for a moment and felt this made sense.

He had already secretly reported the matter of the Supreme Bone in Shi Hao's body to the two elders in charge of the clan. He believed they would treat it like a rare treasure and ensure nothing went wrong.

This matter was classified as top secret because the implications were too great. On the surface, having Shi Yi was enough, as his innate double pupils were obvious to anyone who looked. Shi Hao, however, was not easily discovered; only those closest to him could perceive it at close range. Therefore, there was no need to leak the information and risk him being targeted, which could lead to an early death.

"Eleventh Brother, Sister-in-law, are you going on a long journey? There is really no need for this. The clan's experts have all been sent out; they will surely bring Fifteenth Master back."

"That's right, you don't need to worry. A lucky person has their own heaven-sent protection; Fifteenth Master will definitely be fine!"

The clansmen tried to persuade them, but the couple insisted on setting off.

"Don't worry, Eleventh Brother. I will look after Hao'er. I'll have him spend more time with Yi'er, and when they grow up, they can pacify the wilderness and suppress the ten thousand clans together," a young woman said with a smile.

She was outstanding in appearance—the mother of Shi Yi. Her mouth curved into a smile, her teeth were crystalline, and she had a very approachable demeanor. With a son of heaven-sent talent, her status in the clan was extremely high.

"Many thanks, Sister-in-law. Having a few clan elders watch over him is enough; we shouldn't trouble you so much," the couple thanked her.

"You are being too polite, Sister-in-law. We are all family; don't say such things," the young woman said gently.

In the end, the couple set off, leaving the ancient kingdom and heading toward the Hundred Clans Battlefield.

"Yi'er, you must grow closer to little Hao in the future. His aptitude is extraordinary; when he grows up, he will be your right-hand man." After returning to her own palace complex, the young woman instructed her double-pupiled son.

"Mm!" The three-year-old child was very composed, his demeanor far exceeding his age.

The clansmen helped look after Shi Hao, and with many servants around, there were naturally no issues. Aside from the first few days when he was a bit fussy and missed his parents, he was very easy to care for.

Several days later, the young woman brought Shi Hao to her own residence. Seeing her son's eyes shimmering with divine light as he stared unblinkingly at the infant, she asked in confusion, "Yi'er, why do you always stare at your little brother?"

"He is not simple. There is a bone in his body with complex, unfathomable runes," Shi Yi said very calmly.

The young woman was startled. She knew her child was extraordinary, possessing double pupils—a trait of ancient sages and gods—allowing him to see through many origins.

Suddenly, she felt a chill and, remembering something, asked urgently, "You say there is a bone in his body covered in original runes?"

"Yes," the young child said calmly.

"Innate... Supreme Bone!" The young woman trembled immediately. She thought of the ancient legends and could not help but feel a surge of agitation.

For a long time, her expression shifted between light and shadow as she stared at the innocent, pure infant again and again. A flash of malice crossed her eyes, then she turned to instruct her son: "Do not tell anyone!"

The child nodded, saying nothing.

Months flew by, and little Shi Hao grew even cuter. In the blink of an eye, he was several months old, already able to walk on his own and speak. With his bright, intelligent eyes and fair, beautiful features, he looked like a porcelain doll; anyone who saw him couldn't help but want to pinch his little cheeks.

During this time, the young woman treated little Shi Hao very well, as if he were her own. Eventually, she simply brought him to her own residence to be cared for alongside Shi Yi.

"Auntie, I want to go to the garden to see the Red-Feathered Crane. Aman says it's very beautiful, its entire body as bright red as fire, and its cry is incredibly melodious." Little One said, fluttering his large eyes. His long eyelashes trembled, and his speech was childish and milky, sounding delicate and endearing.

Usually, a child this young wouldn't be able to speak so fluently, and walking would still be difficult, but he had no such problems.

"Aman? That's just a servant girl; don't listen to her nonsense. Later, Auntie will take you to see the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock King." The young woman said.

"Aman is a good sister, very kind and very pretty. She often tells me stories; she's a very good person." Little Shi Hao blinked his large eyes and said with great innocence.

"Fine, we'll go see the Red-Feathered Crane after the meal. In a while, I'll take you to see the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock King." The young woman smiled.

"Auntie is the best!" Little One tilted his head back, clasping his two small hands together, his eyes filled with stars as he revealed a look of hopeful anticipation.

Afterward, he turned around and said, "Little Brother, let's go play in the backyard now. There are many children there."

"No!" Shi Yi refused. He sat cross-legged, his small frame as steady as a rock even at such a young age, silently cultivating bone runes.

"Oh, then I'm going to play." Little One trotted away toward that distant "backyard" to find the group of servants' children to play with, laughing happily once he arrived.

Little One was beautiful and cute, and also very kind. He never bullied the servants' children and often played with them, so everyone in the manor, from top to bottom, was fond of him.

Several days later, the young woman took Shi Yi and Little One away from the noble residence, driving a carriage toward a manor to see the descendants of primordial divine birds like the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock.

"Auntie, where is the Luan Bird?" Little One asked curiously. He was somewhat confused, as after arriving at the manor, they had walked straight into an underground palace.

"You'll see it in a moment." The young woman said, her face expressionless.

When they reached a secret chamber, the young woman lit a rune at her fingertip and pressed it against Little One's body. However, the precious bone within his body glowed, neutralizing the effect, and he did not lose consciousness.

"As expected of the Supreme Bone!" The young woman's eyes grew even more fervent. One had to realize, this precious bone had only just begun to grow!

She clapped her hands, and a shadow emerged from nearby. Like a ghost, it arrived silently before him, lifted Little One up, and pressed him onto a cold bed.

"Auntie, what are you doing?" He was only a child of a few months; other toddlers were still ignorant and unaware, yet he, so innocent and kind, asked with deep confusion.

A brilliant silver blade flashed, flowing with a mesmerizing luster, and sliced open Little One's chest. Blood surged out instantly, and at the same time, a hazy divine radiance flowed with the mysteries of the heavens, endless runes flickering incessantly within it.

"It hurts!" Little One cried out in pain, his eyes filled with terror. He had never imagined he would be treated this way; he was still a toddler of a few months, what could he possibly know?

"To think he wouldn't lose consciousness, what a nuisance." The young woman said coldly.

Nearby, the other young child, Shi Yi, watched quietly, silent and wordless, making one doubt if he was truly less than four years old.

As blood flowed, Little One's face turned pale, his large eyes losing their luster as he continued to cry out in pain, his whimpers filled with blood and sorrow.

"There must be no accidents. I have checked the ancient bone books; there are records that such a grafting can succeed. My son has double pupils; he is destined to reign supreme over heaven and earth!" The young woman was very nervous and shouted aloud.

"Auntie..." Little One tilted his small face, covered in tears, and reached out his small hands, pleading to alleviate this excruciating pain.

However, the young woman remained unmoved, her face icy cold. She merely urged the ghost-like figure to be careful and not let the vitality of the Supreme Bone dissipate.

"It is done!" Finally, the black shadow let out a low, beast-like roar. It extracted a source of light from Little One's chest—it possessed an indescribable magic; even though it had only just begun to grow, it made one's soul tremble, radiating endless divine brilliance that illuminated the entire secret chamber.

"Yi'er, it is your turn. You must hold on!" The young woman said nervously, instructing the other child.

The young child nodded, saying nothing.

He lay on a jade bed, the silver blade swept across, blood dripped, and his chest was laid open.

"Be careful, do not make a single mistake!" The young woman's gaze was fierce as she spoke to the black shadow, feeling great heartache for her own child.

On the cold bed nearby, Little One was utterly haggard and in agony. His large eyes were brimming with tears, and every time his long eyelashes fluttered, crystalline tears rolled down. He struggled to reach out his small hands, seemingly wanting to grasp a shred of warmth, and trembled as he begged, "Auntie..."

The young woman swept a cold glance at him and then ignored him, turning her head toward the other bed. Her expression was full of maternal love, and her voice was very gentle as she whispered, "Yi'er, you must hold on. In the future, this entire vast region will be yours, because... you are a natural-born Supreme!"

Nearby, Little One, having lost his Supreme Bone, lay alone on the cold bed. His snow-white face was covered in tears as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness, murmuring, "Mother..." In his most painful moment, he was calling for his true kin, a sight that would break anyone's heart.