The Secret Within His Body

Ever since the last two evolutions, Shi Lin had been deeply intrigued by the golden light that shone from his body.

Shi Lin tried hard to awaken the secrets hidden within himself.

That day, at last, a corner of the secret was revealed.

Shi Lin sat meditating beneath a great tree, his body radiating golden light that reflected off the rocks. At that moment, he looked like a god.

His long hair fluttered in the breeze. The flesh and blood within him resonated with the spiritual energy of the world outside, and runes covered his body.

Beyond the sky, a sound like the striking of the Great Dao rang out. A mysterious little figure appeared in Shi Lin's abdomen and opened its eyes. In an instant, dark clouds blanketed the sky, and a bolt of lightning as thick as a giant serpent struck toward Shi Lin. The mysterious little figure raised one great hand, divine radiance flashed, and the lightning vanished in an instant.

The sky seemed enraged. In a flash, thunder roared across heaven and earth, and ten thousand bolts of lightning struck toward the little figure.

The little figure spoke softly, and the sound of the Great Dao rang through the skies. On Shi Lin's side, mist billowed and rosy clouds swirled. Shi Lin let out a muffled groan, a bead of sweat as large as a bean rolling down his forehead.

A Dao bell rang, as if soothing the lightning. Before long, the agitated bolts had all retreated into the dark clouds, and the sky was clear once more.

The clouds dispersed. The little figure slowly closed its eyes, then waved a hand and cast some runes into Shi Lin's sea of consciousness. Afterward, mist gradually shrouded the figure, and it disappeared.

Shi Lin exhaled and opened his eyes. He had now reached the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm. He was only one step away from entering the Cave Heaven Realm.

"What just happened?" Shi Lin had felt as though he'd entered another space, where he'd been unable to get out. Then, all of a sudden, he had returned.

"Mm?! I'm only one step away from entering the Cave Heaven Realm!" Shi Lin exclaimed in surprise.

He carefully sensed his own body.

Shi Lin's sea of consciousness stirred.

"Huh! Why is there a passage of runes in my sea of consciousness that I've never seen before?" Shi Lin exclaimed.

"This is...!" Shi Lin stepped closer.

The runes glowed with golden light.

Shi Lin reached out to touch them. Instantly, golden radiance blazed forth.

"Could these be Immortal Ancient characters?" Shi Lin's voice trembled with surprise.

Shi Lin didn't know this script, yet his mind somehow told him what it was.

"These runes are... the first chapter of the Undying Scripture! The Indestructible Scripture—its power makes the body as strong as gold, undying and indestructible. The Heavenly Horned Ant cultivated this technique and became the pinnacle of strength among the Ten Fiends!" Shi Lin's voice trembled with excitement.

As a die-hard fan of Chen Dong's novels, he knew just how much the Indestructible Scripture and the Heavenly Horned Ant meant in Perfect World.

Now that they were right here within his reach, how could he not be thrilled?

This was the start of a cheat-powered rise to greatness! Shi Lin grinned.

"I absolutely have to keep this secret. I must be careful, or I'll bring disaster down on myself!" Shi Lin murmured.

"The Indestructible Scripture will be a huge help with body cultivation. It may only be the first chapter, but it's more than enough for me right now. I need to cultivate it properly!"

"I shouldn't know the Immortal Ancient script. So why does my mind understand it? Could it be that I was originally an Immortal Ancient person?"

"Forget it. I shouldn't dwell on this. Becoming stronger is what matters most!"

"Now I can cultivate the Indestructible Scripture. I'll become even stronger!" A firm Dao heart took root in Shi Lin.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

"Grandpa, I want to travel far away." During dinner, Little One suddenly said this.

The old clan chief's rough hand trembled. He looked up and asked, "Child, you're so young, and your cultivation isn't yet enough to let you roam the Great Wilderness freely. Where do you want to go?"

"I'm not really leaving Stone Village. I'm just going to complete a trial Willow Deity assigned me. I want to go out and look around. I'll be back soon," Little One said softly.

Although he was going out for a trial, he would choose the destination himself.

His eyes grew misty. He missed his parents and longed for his family. They had been apart for years, and Shi Ziling and the others still hadn't returned. He was terribly worried.

"Child, you're not planning to go to an ancient kingdom, are you?" The old clan chief was concerned. How could such a young child fight against a powerful royal clan? It was far too dangerous.

Little One shook his head. "I won't take any risks. I'll only go as far as the border of an ancient kingdom. And Brother Lin will come with me. Willow Deity told me to fight primordial beasts and temper myself in dangerous places. That's the only way to test what I've learned and grow quickly." He had now cultivated the Blood-Moving Realm anew and reached perfection. Following Willow Deity's advice, he wouldn't rush to break through. He would remain at this level for another month, gaining more insight and understanding, which would benefit his future cultivation.

Little One wanted to visit the Second Ancestral Land. It was a place of exile, where a few old men who had fallen on hard times lived. They had once gotten along well with his parents and might know where they had gone.

A child had been separated from his parents for years. When he learned they had risked their lives to search for Saint Medicine by entering a stretch of Primordial Divine Mountain, his longing and worry for them were easy to imagine.

Perhaps he couldn't do anything for them yet, but he wanted news of them. He was full of love and longing for his family. Even if he couldn't see them, hearing a little news would bring him some comfort.

Besides, there was another child there, sent into that harsh wasteland in his place. Little One didn't know how the child had fared over the years; perhaps he had faced danger. Little One was deeply loyal and felt that child shouldn't have been condemned to such a fate.

The Second Ancestral Land lay on the border of an ancient kingdom, a wild, bitterly cold place. It wasn't far from the true ancestral land—only three hundred thousand li away. Clearly, the Shi Clan had been searching for its roots all those years ago.

Three hundred thousand li was nothing compared to the vast, boundless territory of an ancient kingdom. But for Little One, who had never traveled far, it was an astronomical distance.

"You've never traveled far before. How could I possibly feel at ease?" The clan chief refused.

Before long, the villagers all heard about it, and they firmly opposed the idea too. The journey was long and full of danger. One wrong move, and he could die in the mountains.

"Willow Deity said this is a very important trial, and I need to make the journey," Little One said.

The villagers fell silent at once. The charred willow tree was a god in their hearts, and it was difficult to oppose its words.

"You can refuse this trial; you don't have to accept it. I'm only training you according to the methods True Hou, Pixiu, and other primordial vicious beasts used to temper their young. Three hundred thousand li is truly dangerous. The Great Wilderness is home to many exotic species. If you encounter one without avoiding it in time, you'll be in real danger," Willow Deity said.

In the primordial era, the strongest creatures were exceptionally strict with their offspring. To help them grow into peerless powerhouses, they usually put them through hellish trials.

Traveling alone through mountains teeming with primordial beasts and dangers was a tremendous test. There might be no clear enemy, but that could make it even more dangerous.

Willow Deity's trials weren't measured by the standards of the human race today. Everything was set by the standards of the strongest races in this world.

"I'll give it a try. If I really can't manage it, I won't take any risks. I'll turn back early," Little One said, his gaze resolute.

"It's all right. I'll be there," Shi Lin said, stepping forward.

Everyone in Stone Village knew how strong Shi Lin was now. With him there, Little One would indeed be safer.

A memory lingered in his subconscious: his grandfather had once shot and killed a Pixiu cub on the Hundred Clans Battlefield. Its bloodline had been exceptionally pure. It seemed the supreme vicious beast had deliberately sent its offspring into the battlefield to undergo cruel trials.

"I can do it too!" Little One clenched his little fists, cheering himself on as he prepared to head toward the ancient kingdom.

"My son, be careful!" Shi Linhu placed both hands firmly on Shi Lin's shoulders.

Shi Lin had grown up, and he wouldn't stop him from going out to mature.

"Don't worry, Father!" Shi Lin said, his gaze resolute...

At dawn, mist swirled through the mountains and forests, veiling everything in a haze. A streak of red appeared over the mountaintops. The sun broke free and spilled warm light over the land, tinting the morning mist pale gold as rosy clouds drifted by. The people of Stone Village had risen early. A group of children exercised beneath the morning glow, breathing out vital essence, each of them as sturdy as a Pixiu cub.

Little One and Shi Lin sat nearby, watching them. They were about to leave on a long journey, and neither wanted to go. Ziyun, Dapeng, and Xiao Qing huddled close, very reluctant to let them go. They insisted on coming along, but Little One wouldn't agree.

The journey would be far too dangerous. Three hundred thousand li was an immense distance, crossing who knew how many mountain ranges, and dangers were sure to abound along the way. In the towering mountains, it was common to see enormous silhouettes streak across the sky. There was no shortage of terrifying, nameless birds of prey.

When Little One went out to cultivate, he had once seen a giant bird fifty meters long streak across the sky. It spat out a mouthful of flames, melting a mountaintop into lava. On another occasion, he saw a fierce bird of prey more than a hundred meters long dive into the clouds, seize a flood dragon, tear it in two, and swallow it. Blood rained down over the mountains.

Ziyun, Dapeng, and Xiao Qing were extraordinary and could fly through the sky and burrow into the earth, but they weren't yet grown. Taking them along on such a long journey would be far too dangerous.

Who knew when a ferocious bird might suddenly burst from some mountain range and tear them to pieces while they were still growing?