Return

Shi Lin and the other two mounted the two Unicorns they had kept hidden and began their journey back.

The Great Wilderness was filled with ferocious beasts, and their journey was inevitably marked by bloody battles, but having traveled this path once before, the return trip was much smoother.

"Look, there is a massive bird's nest built on the mountain peak, covering the entire summit!"

Deep within the mountain range, atop a towering peak, sat a nest of black branches. It was unimaginably vast, over a hundred meters in diameter, and emanated an oppressive aura.

In the distance, a colossal fierce bird flew over like a dark cloud. It was nearly a hundred meters long, and its wingspan stretched two to three hundred meters. Its aura of ferocity was heaven-shaking, and every one of its black feathers looked as if it were cast from metal, flashing with a terrifying light.

Throughout the journey, little Qingfeng would occasionally cry out in alarm; he had never ventured into the Great Wilderness before and had never seen such terrifying creatures.

"Ah, that tree just ate a giant Fire Rhino!"

Not long after, they saw an ancient, towering tree whose branches could actually move. It pierced through a Fire Rhino several meters long to drain its blood, which was truly horrifying; the entire tree had turned red.

"The Great Wilderness is terrifying, filled with all sorts of strange creatures. We must be cautious and careful, or a moment of laxity could lead to a fatal disaster," Shi Lin warned.

This was a strange land, yet also a terrifying world. The natural environment was harsh and the competition brutal; the human race had to struggle just to survive. Along the way, they were very careful, avoiding many forbidden zones. Those places were not meant for them to force their way through yet; thick mists hung over them, and from afar, one could see terrifying figures lurking, chilling to the soul.

Of course, bloody battles were ultimately unavoidable. There were simply too many fierce birds and savage beasts along the way. Little One had to endure multiple intense battles every day, traveling while bathed in beast blood.

Finally, after more than twenty days of trekking, the two children neared Stone Village. Their animal-hide clothes were reduced to strips and tatters, stained everywhere with blood and filth. Shi Lin remained the same, not a single drop of blood touching his body.

"Wow, wild men! Two wild men are coming!"

By the side of the azure lake, a group of children saw the two blood-caked figures and began to shout, quickly surrounding them.

"Wait, that black-red horse is a Unicorn. Little One is back! Look, that's Shi Lin." As they neared the lake, the children finally recognized them.

Little One and the others were in a sorry state. Even the Unicorns were dyed black-red with beast blood, their silver scales covered in gore. Even Furball was no exception, which showed just how many bloody battles they had encountered along the way.

"Oh my, Little One, you're finally back! The clansmen were worried to death; you were gone for over fifty days!"

"Little One, you look so miserable, I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Shi Lin, how are you still acting like nothing happened!"

A group of children quickly swarmed them, very affectionate. Ignoring the fact that Little One was dirty and covered in blood, they threw their arms around his shoulders and neck, as if they had endless words to share.

"Who is this child?" They naturally noticed Qingfeng and couldn't help but ask.

"His name is Shi Qingfeng. From now on, he is our little brother," Little One introduced.

The adults were alarmed and quickly rushed out. Shi Linhu and the others were very excited, and even the elderly clan elders came running.

A young child had crossed the Great Wilderness, bravely traversing three hundred thousand li, and had actually returned alive. This was a miracle!

"Wonderful, child, you finally returned. As long as you are alive, that is enough." Even the usually steady Clan Chief's voice trembled; he had been incredibly worried these past days.

This trial was too difficult. Even with Shi Lin accompanying him, it was a life-and-death ordeal, yet Little One had succeeded.

This had once been a cruel trial for the cubs of the most powerful ancient fierce beasts, such as the Qiu Dragon and Yazi; even those terrifying beast cubs could perish halfway through.

Little One had succeeded, and he had even protected a child on his return.

"Child, you are extraordinary. You completed the most terrifying trial; you will surely soar into the sky in the future!" The group of elders trembled with immense gratification, and some even had tears in their eyes.

For how many years had the legends of Stone Village been treated as mere stories? People no longer believed in the glory of the ancient past, but now, because of this child's rise, that former splendor might be rekindled.

"Child, did you break through?" the old Clan Chief asked with concern.

"No, I plan to go into seclusion in the village. Breaking through is not a problem; I want to aim even higher," Little One replied.

Everyone nodded, feeling happy for him.

"You have done well, successfully completing the terrifying trial of the ancient era." The Willow Deity transmitted its voice, and the clansmen immediately bowed in unison upon hearing it.

Little Qingfeng was startled, watching with curiosity.

Little One, however, was somewhat surprised, as he noticed the Willow Deity looked different. Much of the charred, old bark had fallen off, and he could see several protrusions on the trunk, as if something were about to emerge.

"I am going into seclusion. For the next year, I will fall into a deep slumber," the Willow Deity revealed this news, which shocked the villagers. "Respected Willow Deity, are you alright?" an elder asked tremblingly.

"It is a good thing for me, but you must be careful, for during this year, I will be unable to protect you," the Willow Deity transmitted.

The crowd was shocked. They were about to lose the protection of the Willow Deity, and it was going to sleep again; this was unsettling. The only consolation was that there were no evil beasts in this area, and no tragedies had occurred.

"It's fine. The Willow Deity slept for a long time last time, and weren't we all fine? There shouldn't be any problems," Shi Feijiao comforted the villagers.

"You have done well. Do not waste your natural talent. When I wake up, I will show you a different world." This was the Willow Deity's private instruction to Little One.

"And you, you must also work hard in your cultivation," the Willow Deity unexpectedly instructed Shi Lin.

"Understood!" Shi Lin replied subconsciously.

And so, from that day on, the Willow tree dimmed, and that green, glowing branch no longer shone at night; it had fallen into a deep slumber.

"Splash," "Splash."

In the beautiful, clear, azure lake, a group of children jumped in one after another, swimming happily, shouting and playing to their hearts' content.

Little One stripped down completely and dove in with a splash to wash off the blood and filth. Qingfeng watched from the shore with envy; he did not know how to swim.

"Come down, it's fine! We'll teach you how to swim together," a group of older children called out.

"Ah, I can't, I'm afraid of water." Qingfeng hesitated, but he was pulled in anyway. Under the protection of the group of children, he splashed about for half an hour and finally learned to swim.

Shi Lin had already joined them, slipping into the water with a splash.

"It's so beautiful, this place is truly gorgeous," Qingfeng said, filled with joy. In the deep blue lake, fish covered in golden scales shimmered with a precious glow, surfacing from time to time to leap out of the water. The banks were carpeted with lush green grass, where flocks of birds wandered about. They were of many varieties, their feathers vibrant and flowing with luster; they showed no fear of people and were exceptionally beautiful. There were also herds of Unicorns running along the shore, looking incredibly holy.

Qingfeng felt that this was simply the world he had once imagined in his heart—peaceful and serene, without a single worry. If he could live here for a long time, he would surely be very happy.

In the evening, a group of children climbed onto the shore, acting sneakily, while Furball was even more furtive, hiding in the grass and peering about.

"What are they doing?" little Qingfeng asked, puzzled, turning to Shi Hao.

Little One whispered, "They are planning to steal bird eggs. They are the eggs of very rare, precious birds—the offspring of a Little Luan Bird. They are a potent medicinal treasure, and under normal circumstances, the village chief wouldn't let them mess around."

Qingfeng was surprised, yet he also found it quite interesting.

Sure enough, before long, there was a commotion; the beautiful lakeshore was in chaos as the group of children and Furball scurried over with a pile of bird eggs marked with colorful patterns, tossing them into a fire to roast.

From a distance, the roar of Shi Linhu came: "You little brats, you are not allowed to do this again! If this keeps up, all these precious birds and beasts will be scared away."

"We know!" the children laughed, eating the fragrant bird eggs and taking bites of golden, oily-roasted Dragon-Whisker Fish, feeling incredibly content.

"This place is truly wonderful!" little Qingfeng was very happy. With so many playmates and so many interesting things happening, he felt extremely joyful.

At night, the medicine cauldron glowed and rumbled, emitting rhythmic, ritualistic sounds. Various divine birds and strange beasts appeared on the surface of the cauldron, so lifelike they seemed as if they were about to break through the walls. Furball looked miserable, covering its large eyes with one small paw, unwillingly biting its other paw to drip two drops of golden blood into the cauldron.

Afterward... it let out a miserable shriek as if it had lost an arm, then quickly jumped back onto Little One's shoulder, peeking through one covered eye.

The group couldn't help but laugh; this golden, fist-sized ball was eccentric and lively, making everyone chuckle.

The medicine cauldron glowed with even more mystery, beginning to refine the medicinal treasure. It emitted a rich fragrance, with ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand strands of auspicious color, appearing truly magnificent and mysterious.

"Don't be nervous, Qingfeng. Reconnecting your severed tendons will definitely succeed. With these medicinal treasures, I guarantee your bones and tendons will regenerate," Little One comforted him.

The process was agonizing. The scars on Qingfeng's feet were reopened, and blood flowed. He screamed in pain, tears rolling down his face, but he did not struggle as Shi Feijiao helped him apply the medicinal paste.

"The tendons and bones are aligned. Applying this rare medicinal treasure will surely allow them to regenerate. Rest assured!" the village chief comforted him.

No one else touched this cauldron of medicine; it was all left for Qingfeng. He had some applied to his feet and consumed a good portion as well. For several days in a row, his soles itched as his tendons and bones regenerated and reconnected.

"It is truly worthy of being the blood of a Zhu Yan!" a village elder exclaimed in wonder.

In just a few days, the broken tendons and bones in Qingfeng's feet had reconnected. After recuperating for a period, there would be no issues; he would certainly recover.

Everyone turned their strange gazes toward Furball.

It immediately let out a miserable cry, rolling around on Little One's shoulder, and finally stretched out its small paw, gesturing and shaking it vigorously, meaning that it would never do this again, even if it were beaten to death.

Aside from the medicinal treasure, Little One also used runes to treat him every day. After half a month, Qingfeng recovered, and his tendons and bones healed rapidly.

"The medicinal treasure is truly powerful, possessing divine effects to heal so quickly," everyone marveled, unaware that the Original True Interpretation practiced by Little One had also played a significant role.

In the days that followed, a small figure appeared by the lake, practicing alongside the other children. Everyone was shocked to discover that, despite his thin frame, he also understood bone scripts. Although not as profound as Little One's, they were still quite strong. In the words of the old village chief, he was a genius who had previously been held back only by his physical condition.

After a period of recuperation, Qingfeng gradually recovered. His pale little face gained color, turning rosy, and he began running around wildly with the children of Stone Village, his stamina completely restored.

In the days that followed, Little One left early and returned late, spending his time alone in the deep mountains to study the Original True Interpretation, occasionally fighting with fierce beasts to test what he had realized in his heart.

Shi Lin did the same, practicing his own precious techniques, training and training again.