Original True Interpretation

"The four ancestors are here. Nothing will happen. Yi'er had all his bones broken before, and I think Ziling only wanted to vent his anger." Another Clan Elder remained calm. Shi Ziling gripped the spear and shot through the air like a flying demon god. With a long roar, a huge Primordial Ferocious Beast appeared within him and charged alongside him.

"Whoosh!"

Shi Yi raised his head. His eyes were deep, with the sun and moon turning and galaxies falling within them—a terrifying sight. Then two dazzling beams, composed of countless runes, shot toward the sky.

Once again, he threw the world into chaos and disrupted Shi Ziling's spell. But this time, it did no good. The Golden War Spear swept across the air, resonating with heaven and earth as ten thousand waves of golden light surged and crushed everything in their path.

With a splatter, several Clan Elders spat out mouthfuls of blood and were swept away. Shi Li staggered after landing, spitting blood with every step. He nearly dropped Shi Yi, his body trembling violently as he almost toppled over.

"Roar..." The Primordial Ferocious Beast beside Shi Ziling unleashed its might, shaking heaven and earth. Its murderous aura spread in every direction like an ocean.

The four Clan Elders were shaken again and spat out blood once more.

"Fight on!"

The four charged forward together and surrounded him.

They fought fiercely, their precious arts soaring into the sky as the world trembled in every direction. The light blazed. Like a golden Heavenly God, Shi Ziling charged back and forth amid the attacks of the four experts—and actually gained the upper hand!

The battle reached a fever pitch. The four Clan Elders were all stained with blood, while Shi Ziling only grew bolder, his divine radiance blazing to the heavens. The pressure made them feel as though they were suffocating.

Suddenly, a terrifying wave of power emanated from Shi Li. It was as if an ancient divine lord had emerged, shaking the boundless world. His chest was glowing.

"Hmm?" Shi Ziling was startled.

It happened too suddenly. This terrifying power suppressed everything, immobilizing the Golden War Spear and erasing the Primordial Ferocious Beast beside Shi Ziling.

Divine light surged in Shi Ziling's eyes, shooting out like two golden bolts of lightning and scattering that dreadful power. The spear in his hand shone again, wreathed in a vast expanse of flying runes that struck fear into every direction.

Boom!

The golden spear thrust forward, piercing through heaven and earth. The chants of the gods rang out, so real and utterly sacred, as radiant light spilled down. He was using offense as defense!

Shi Li's attack was truly terrifying. He and Shi Yi seemed to have fused together. His chest glowed, and complex patterns covered his body, circulating the mysteries of the heavens.

That aura was so dreadful that the other three clan elders spat blood and staggered backward. They were horrified. It had not even been aimed at them, yet its power was still so immense.

In the distance, the onlookers felt as if they had been struck by a hammer. Their bodies shuddered, and they retreated uncontrollably. Those closer by had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, could barely breathe, and could not help wanting to prostrate themselves.

"It's Hao'er's Supreme Bone!" Shi Ziling's gaze turned ice-cold, and his hair stood on end with fury.

Shi Li carried Shi Yi on his back, the two of them fused together as they forcibly activated that bone, unleashing such divine might that everyone nearby was horrified.

However, that was all it took. Shi Li's essence, energy, and spirit were drained away. Unable to endure the strain, he kept coughing up blood, his body shaking uncontrollably as cracks appeared across it.

As for Shi Yi, carried on his back, the bones in his chest cracked. The bones that had returned to their proper places were jolted loose again. He had suffered severe injuries and a backlash. His Supreme Bone had not truly matured yet; he should not have used it like that.

Golden light blazed around Shi Ziling like fire, surging up to fill the sky. His power made the others tremble, yet he remained unharmed. He had endured the attack of the Treasure Bone and pressed forward.

Thud!

His foot came down, and heaven and earth shook. Like a god of slaughter freed from his chains, he swept away all peace and radiated a bone-chilling killing intent as he swung his spear forward.

Three Clan Elders were flung away, covered in blood, and fell among the crowd. None of them got back up. No one knew how many bones they had broken; they could barely gather their runes anymore.

Shi Li, meanwhile, took the full force of Shi Ziling's powerful strike. The spearhead flashed like a golden flood dragon flying in from beyond the heavens, piercing through his protective treasure and drawing a spray of blood.

With a splatter, half of his body exploded. He trembled from the agony, and his runes were instantly wiped out, unable to take effect. Terror filled his eyes.

Shi Ziling was like an ancient divine king bathing in radiance. He stepped forward, the golden spear aimed ahead, intending to pierce Shi Li and Shi Yi together and nail them to the ground.

"Ziling, that's enough." Just then, the ancestor to the west moved. He remained seated, yet flashed forward like lightning. Haze swirled around his indistinct figure as he extended one hand and stopped the fearsome spearhead, shielding the two men. In truth, they had been there all along. From the moment Shi Ziling and his wife entered the mansion, they had moved to seal off the area.

When Shi Ziling had first entered the clan, he had sensed the strange atmosphere and detected the four ancestors' auras. He had already known something was wrong.

The four had cultivated to unfathomable depths; no one could tell where their limits lay. With them here, it would be difficult to use force to get justice. No one knew how many years they had spent cultivating.

"Ancestor, is this how you uphold justice?" Shi Ziling shouted.

"I know you feel wronged. The clan wronged Hao'er, but please believe us—we will make it up to you." The ancestor spoke.

Just then, haze billowed, and the other three ancestors appeared as well, surrounding him in the center. All of them remained silent.

"I won't accept this!" Shi Ziling roared. His whole body blazed with light, and the Golden War Spear pointed diagonally toward the southern sky. Runes burst from him as he unleashed his strongest precious art, ready to fight.

Everyone was stunned. It had been many years since anyone in the clan had dared to challenge the ancestors. Shi Ziling's audacity—and his strength—made them tremble!

"Ziling, you've gone too far. If you insist on fighting, don't blame us for suppressing you!" one ancestor said.

"Then let's fight!" Shi Ziling swung his spear, his whole body radiant as runes intertwined. The Primordial Ferocious Beast surged forth, and his peerless precious art launched its strongest attack.

It seemed as though the sky itself had been torn apart. Boundless sacred light blazed so brightly that no one could look directly at it. Everyone trembled, feeling compelled to kneel before such divine might.

"Suppress him!" The ancestor made his move.

The most terrifying battle erupted there, shaking heaven and earth and shocking everyone. Every soul quivered with fear.

"I can't see..." In Stone Village, in front of the great willow tree, Little One stood with tears streaming down his face. He could not see the battle.

"You're still too young to see a battle at that level," the Willow Deity sent telepathically. Chaotic energy filled the air, and everything there remained blurred and indistinct.

"I want to keep watching. I need to know what happened." Little One clenched his fists. Though he knew these events had happened long ago, he was still nervous.

In Shi Mansion, dazzling radiance and sacred light danced together, blotting out the sun and covering the entire estate. Nothing could be seen.

"Heart and mind in perfect accord!" At last, Little One's mother joined the battle. Carrying him, she charged into the fray and joined forces with Shi Ziling to unleash their precious art, shaking the imperial capital.

Unfortunately, Little One could see nothing. All that met his eyes was light and precious arts, so dazzling they made his heart tremble. Sacred radiance had dyed the whole world a pale gold.

In the end, he must have been too weak. He fell unconscious in his mother's arms. Just before his large eyes closed, he saw his big brother outside the battlefield.

Though Shi Yi's hundred bones had been broken, his essence, energy, and spirit had not weakened. His Double Pupil was deep as he stared at Shi Ziling with a cold expression. Then he turned to Little One and lifted the corners of his mouth. His eyes shone with a dazzling light, as if he looked down upon the world. He glanced at Little One once, then paid him no further attention.

Little One was on the brink of death, and his Supreme Bone was gone. His future was ruined, so he was not worth watching.

For a long time afterward, Little One remained half-conscious, hovering between life and death. He was so weak that his life seemed ready to gutter out at any moment, and he knew nothing of what had happened.

By the time he woke again, he was in a desolate, barren land, far from the vast ancient kingdom and its prosperous imperial capital. The scenery was worlds apart.

They had arrived at a sprawling but dilapidated estate, the place where the ancestor who had revived the Shi Clan had grown up. It was also known as the Second Ancestral Land.

"Ziling, you're truly impressive!" An old man with a head of white hair and beard slapped the ancient table, deeply moved and furious. "If I were fifty years younger and had your strength, I'd have caused a huge uproar in the imperial capital too. Do they think no one in our branch can stand up to them?!"

Shi Ziling shook his head. His face was somewhat pale.

An extremely old man spoke up. "They even wanted to exile the two of you to this wretched place. That's too much. You're still so young!"

"Exactly. They call it the Second Ancestral Land, but what is there here? It's barren and bitterly cold, nowhere near a blessed paradise. It's no place for cultivation or a long stay!"

The dilapidated Second Ancestral Land lay on a desolate frontier. Only clan members who had committed grave offenses and caused serious trouble were exiled there.

"This was my agreement with them. Hao'er will recover here," Shi Ziling said.

"It's the same thing—they've exiled you here!" an old man fumed. Then, puzzled, he asked, "What exactly did they promise you?"

"If Hao'er can recover his vitality, they will return his Supreme Bone immediately," Shi Ziling said.

"Child, how can you believe them? They're just buying time. Hao'er is so gravely ill. Even if he survives, he won't be able to nourish his Supreme Bone again!" an old man said, pounding his chest in distress.

Apart from the servants, there were four special old men here, all once renowned figures of the past. They were of extremely high seniority, but had committed grave offenses and been exiled to this desolate land.

If they had not feared implicating their descendants, they would have fled long ago, for their cultivation was terrifying. Many years had passed, and now all of them had reached old age, with little life left.

"The Fourth Ancestor secretly gave me a fragmentary map behind everyone's back. He said that if we could find the true ancestral land of our clan, perhaps Hao'er could recover there," Shi Ziling said softly.

Nearby, his wife held the frail Little One, her face clouded with worry. It had been a long time since a smile had graced her beautiful face.

"What, the true ancestral land of our clan?" The old men all widened their eyes. It was no ordinary place. It was steeped in mysteries and legends. The ancestors of the Shi Clan had come from there, founded an ancient kingdom, and built an endless legacy.

They were all deeply stirred. The ancestral land weighed on the hearts of many in the Shi Clan. It held countless mysteries and was said to be a place where gods could be born. But because of the ancestral precepts, they had severed contact with it, until at last they could no longer find it even if they wished.

"Is that true? Could he be deceiving you?" one old man asked skeptically.

"No matter what, I'll try. I'll do everything I can to help Hao'er recover!" Shi Ziling said, his face resolute.

"What if you can't find it?" an old man reminded him.

"Then I'll search for the Primordial Divine Mountain. I'll travel through the wilderness and find a Saint Medicine. I absolutely won't let Hao'er sink into ruin!" Shi Ziling said.

Beside him, his wife nodded, her beautiful eyes full of determination as she held Little One tighter.

The old men were startled. They all spoke up, solemnly warning them.

"Ziling, don't do anything reckless. The Primordial Divine Mountain isn't a place you can barge into. True Hous or creatures like the Golden-Winged Dapeng might dwell there. You could lose your life!"

Shi Ziling kept studying the fragmentary map. Unless there was no other choice, he naturally would not enter the Primordial Divine Mountain. He pinned his hopes on finding the ancestral land.

"If Hao'er dies, I'll fight them to the bitter end. I'll kill until heaven and earth are torn apart!" Shi Ziling's gaze was intimidating, and a terrifying aura emanated from him.

"According to the agreement, Hao'er should stay here and recover. They don't trust you, so they want to keep tabs on you. They're afraid you'll go straight back and fight them," an old man said.

"I won't leave Hao'er here!" Shi Ziling was not the sort of person who followed rules blindly.

"Here's what we'll do. Don't give them an excuse. Maybe you really can cure Hao'er. I'll find a child to take his place. One day, we must get the Supreme Bone back!"

Later, after enduring countless hardships, Shi Ziling and his wife found Stone Village. They were deeply shaken when they saw the charred willow tree. They were powerful enough to recognize that it was no ordinary tree.

But they were sorely disappointed by everything else in the ancestral land of Stone Village.

A breeze blew, and the haze gradually dissipated. Beneath the willow tree, Little One stood alone, tears covering his face.

After a long time, the willow tree finally spoke telepathically. "How do you feel?"

"My heart aches for my father and mother. Where are you now?" Little One wept without stopping.

"You really are a kind child. You didn't let hatred drive you mad and make you cry out for revenge." The willow tree spoke telepathically, then continued, "You lost your Supreme Bone. Do you not resent them? Shi Yi must be dazzling now, surrounded by countless halos, someone ordinary people can only look up to."

Little One knew Shi Yi's future was destined to surpass the ordinary. His radiance would illuminate the earth. That much was easy to imagine.

He calmly replied, "It's just a bone. No one is crowned Supreme by someone else, and no bone can decide it. You become Supreme by fighting your way forward, step by step."

"Since you can say that, I'll tell you a secret." The willow tree was heartened.

"What secret?" Little One was startled.

"Have you ever seen plants wither and then flourish again?" the willow tree asked.

"Of course." Little One nodded softly. "Autumn winds shear yellow leaves, wildfires burn dry grass, cold winds howl past, and spring comes with new shoots." The willow tree spoke telepathically.

Plants withering and flourishing again was the most natural thing in the world, but now it struck Little One deeply. He understood what the willow tree meant.

"Willow Deity, are you saying that the Supreme Bone in my body might grow back one day?" Little One's large eyes shone brightly through his tears, his youthful face brimming with vigor.

"All things are possible. I'm only saying it's one possibility." The willow tree did not deny it.

Little One clenched his small fists. His large eyes flashed with light, filled with longing and hope.

He was cheerful by nature and did not believe one Supreme Bone could decide his life. But when he thought of how it had originally been his, how it could have let him stand shoulder to shoulder with True Hous and the Golden-Winged Dapeng, yet had been cruelly ripped from him and implanted in someone else's body, he could not help feeling despondent.

Now, it was as though a shaft of dawn had fallen into his heart. Everything seemed brighter, and his fighting spirit burned even more fiercely.

"Willow Deity, can you explain more specifically? Show me the way."

"Actually, there's not much to say. The simplest, most fundamental truths are contained in ordinary things. A great tree may die if it is broken, because its vitality has already run dry. A chive, on the other hand, may be yellow and frail when first planted, but after being cut back again and again, it grows greener and stronger. And a silkworm trapped in its cocoon will suffocate and die, but if it breaks free, it becomes a butterfly, bright and beautiful. That is a rebirth, a transcendence of what came before."

The Willow Deity spoke calmly, without a ripple, recounting the most ordinary of things.

Little One's eyes shone brighter and brighter. Looking at its charred trunk and the single tender green branch that remained, he said, "Just like you, Willow Deity. You're flourishing with life amid destruction. You'll grow even stronger in the future. This is a trial, a unique form of cultivation. After rebirth, you'll surely surpass what you were before."

"You're very perceptive, but my situation... Don't draw wild conclusions about it." The willow tree spoke telepathically, its voice carrying a faint smile. It was rare for it to show any emotion.

"Willow Deity, was it you who saved me?" Little One seemed to remember something. Back then, he had been so frail, his body had deteriorated severely, and he had nearly died.

A mountain breeze swept by, stirring the emerald-green branch. The willow tree spoke telepathically. "If I had given you vitality, you would only have survived and lived an ordinary life. At first, I merely watched in silence."

"I survived on my own?" Little One was astonished.

"Yes. When you were about to wither away, vitality appeared again, growing little by little until you finally pulled through on your own. I never intervened," the willow tree replied honestly.

"Plants wither and flourish again. So I held on by myself." Little One seemed to understand. His dark eyes, like black gemstones, shone even more brightly.

Back then, when the willow tree had watched Little One give birth to vitality amid exhaustion, it too had been moved. Their situations were similar, and it had felt a sense of kinship with him.

"I must remind you that nothing is certain. You survived through your own strength and gave rise to vigorous vitality, but whether your Supreme Bone can grow back is still uncertain."

"I understand!" Little One nodded seriously. He was not blindly optimistic, because he still could not feel a Treasure Bone growing inside him.

The Willow Deity continued, "But if it does grow back, it is bound to shock the ages. Reborn on its original foundation, its runes will be even more profound, holding the secrets of the heavens. It will surpass what came before and be utterly different!"

The chaotic haze dispersed, and the village entrance grew quiet again. A streak of golden light darted over. The round Furball, about the size of a golden fist, landed on Little One's shoulder, chattering excitedly.

The clan chief and a large group of villagers gathered around too. Seeing the tears on Little One's face, Aunt Hu and the others comforted him and wiped them away. They doted on him.

"Little One, this is your home. Whether or not you know where you came from, we're still your family," a group of women said.

The men reached out their rough hands to ruffle his hair, grinning broadly. "It's nothing to worry about. Our Stone Village has even given birth to gods. One day, you'll be a mighty warrior who can fight the Primordial Ferocious Bird—the Golden-Winged Dapeng! You should know, it's a creature capable of killing gods."

"Little One, don't cry. You still have us. We grew up together as brothers. Whatever happens in the future, we'll face it together!" a group of children cried.

"Mm!" Little One wiped the tears from his face and nodded firmly. His people treated him well and had let him grow up happily. He was very glad that hatred had not filled his childhood.

Of course, one day he would go to that ancient kingdom and demand an explanation!

"Grandpa, I want to become stronger!" Little One had never longed for power as much as he did now. Yet he had reached the limits of what he could learn and practice in Stone Village.

That ancient kingdom ruled over millions of miles of land. It was vast beyond compare and had a population beyond counting. It was bound to be full of talented young people and heroes who astonished the ages.

His "big brother" was an especially dazzling sun among them, destined to illuminate the whole land. He was a Double Pupil, with an aptitude equal to that of ancient saints and gods, and he had also obtained Little One's Supreme Bone. If he matured, he would be like a Heavenly God!

Shi Yi was nearly ten now. He must already be famous in the imperial capital.

Faced with such a celebrated "big brother," one destined to compete with the heavens and contend with the Primordial Heaven-Tier Ferocious Beast—True Hou—Little One still felt a lot of pressure.

"Become stronger... It's a pity that our clan's legacy is gone. This is our ancestral land. It should have passed down the most terrifying Bone Text and precious arts, but they've all vanished into the river of time." The clan chief sighed, deeply regretful.

But immediately afterward, his heart began pounding violently. He touched the bone tucked against his chest, unable to calm down.

After everyone had left, only Shi Yunfeng, Little One, and the golden Zhu Yan remained. The clan chief grew solemn and led Little One beneath the willow tree. "Child, I can't teach you anymore. You're a true genius. But I have a bone here. The symbols on it are so profound that just looking at them can make you spit blood. I've never dared let you see it, afraid you'd suffer a grave injury. But now I have nothing left to teach you. It's all that remains. If you look at it, you must be careful!"

The old clan chief carefully took a bone from his chest. It was lustrous and gleaming white, like a palm-sized piece of fine white jade. It was so crystal-clear and translucent that words could not describe it.

It was not large, yet it was covered in countless symbols. Faintly, one could almost hear the chants of gods and demons from the heavens, stirring the blood in one's heart.

It was astonishing. Though it was only a bone, the moment it appeared, it was already so extraordinary.

"Don't stare at it for too long. After a glance, look away for a while, or you'll hurt yourself," the old clan chief warned solemnly.

"Mm. Grandpa Chief, I understand." Little One accepted it and gently rubbed its surface. It felt incredibly smooth and cool to the touch, comfortable in his hand.

There was no need to explain. This bone undoubtedly had an astonishing origin. At a glance, one could tell it was no ordinary object. It seemed to record the supreme truths of the Way of Bone Text.

"Chirp, chirp..." The fist-sized golden Zhu Yan leapt about restlessly, its lively eyes wide open as it let out shrill cries. It desperately wanted to snatch the bone. After seeing it, it had grown extremely agitated and uneasy.

"Grandpa, how did you get it? This Treasure Bone seems extraordinary," Little One asked.

"Of course!" The clan chief's voice trembled as he spoke of the bone. He looked up at the massive, charred willow tree, his heart surging with emotion.

"Is it connected to the Willow Deity?" Little Shi Hao asked in surprise.

The clan chief nodded. Decades ago, one night, lightning had flashed and thunder roared. Torrential rain poured down, and fierce winds howled. The storm was so violent that many mountains were struck apart by lightning. Floodwaters surged like the sea, and beasts stampeded in terror.

The willow tree had bathed in a sea of lightning, wrapped in enormous bolts as thick as mountains. Ten thousand willow branches had turned into blazing divine chains that pierced the whole sky. In the end, it snapped and fell from the sky, its whole body charred. Along with it came a ball of light that held this lustrous white bone.

"Oh! So it fell from beyond the heavens together with the Willow Deity?" Little One was astonished.

"Yes!" The clan chief nodded firmly. He had still been young then and had witnessed everything. One could imagine how deeply it had shaken him.

Over the past several decades, Shi Yunfeng had often held the bone and bowed before the willow tree, offering sacrifices. But the willow tree had never responded, and he had not even known it could communicate telepathically.

The clan chief believed that perhaps the Willow Deity was only interested in Little One. The few times it had spoken in Stone Village, most of what it said had been about him.

"Willow Deity, what is this?" Little One asked, unable to hold back his question.

The willow tree fell silent. It did not respond. Its thick, charred trunk resembled a black boulder.

"Chirp, chirp..." The fist-sized golden Furball grew more and more eager. It seemed to be trying hard to remember something. Its lively eyes darted about as it pounced on the lustrous white bone, wanting to cradle it.

After an unknown length of time, the willow tree finally spoke. It said only four words: "Original True Interpretation."

"Original True Interpretation?" Little One was startled. The name sounded extraordinary. It had fallen to Stone Village from beyond the heavens, wrapped in a ball of light alongside the Willow Deity. Its origins must be incredible. The fist-sized Furball chirped nonstop, scratching its head and pouncing onto Little One's hand. Like a tiny golden koala, it hugged the lustrous white bone and refused to let go. It seemed to be saying: This is mine. Nobody else gets to take it!

"Willow Deity, please explain how to cultivate the Original True Interpretation," the clan chief asked on Little One's behalf. His future depended on it.

"To comprehend the Original True Interpretation, you must lay the firmest foundation. While young, in the Blood-Moving Realm, you must be like the young of Heaven-Tier Primordial Ferocious Beasts, able to lift one hundred thousand jin of divine metal with the strength of your body. You must also temper your will until it is harder than iron. Only then will you be ready." The willow tree spoke, making the old clan chief's heart tremble.