Storm

The world is too vast, with the Great Wilderness stretching hundreds of thousands of miles; a single parting often means never meeting again. Many women in the village wept, and even the grown men felt a stinging sensation in their eyes. "Little One, Shi Lin, you must return early! We are still waiting for you to take us out to explore!" a group of children shouted. By the time they met again, perhaps they would already be grown, fathers and mothers themselves.

"Goodbye!" Little One also shed tears. After one last look back, the three of them sped off into the distance.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several months passed.

Shi Lin and his companions had not yet left the great mountains. If they were to travel on foot, three hundred thousand miles would be an astronomical figure, but the two of them were resourceful. Along the way, they subdued many fierce beasts to serve as mounts, though the mortality rate was high, requiring them to change mounts from time to time.

Because their primary goal was to temper themselves rather than rush, they constantly explored, visiting many forbidden lands and several times nearly inviting fatal disaster upon themselves.

This was also why Little One had not brought the Unicorn; he had grown attached to it and did not want it to die on the road.

A fierce bird flew overhead, and Shi Lin struck it down with a single punch, his Aura surging into the sky.

"Carry the three of us, then we shall release you!" Shi Lin said, grabbing the bird.

The fierce bird saw Shi Lin's strength and nodded timidly.

"Aiya!"

Qingfeng cried out, feeling exceptionally nervous as he hung in mid-air with the wind whistling around them.

The three of them jumped onto its back, speeding through the sky above the mountain range.

Shi Lin steered it in a specific direction.

It was not until several days later, when the bird was exhausted and foaming at the mouth, that they finally let it go. In truth, they also needed to replenish their food and water.

"That was so exciting!" Qingfeng was thrilled; this journey was a novel experience for him.

However, this method was also dangerous. Sometimes the fierce beasts were too temperamental and would charge directly into forbidden areas, provoking terrifying creatures.

In fact, they encountered danger the very next day. The three of them had captured a beast covered in purple scales—a creature whose name they did not know—and it carried them into a swamp, provoking a giant centipede over ten meters long. It spat out toxins, instantly destroying a patch of forest.

The Purple Scale Beast died on the spot, reduced to a pile of white bones. Had it not been for Shi Lin's warning to jump off and flee in time, they would surely have been reduced to nothing but flesh and blood.

They were not in a hurry, and by adventuring and cultivating along the way, they managed to find over a dozen spiritual herbs and hunted quite a bit of fierce beast blood, which was of great benefit to their cultivation.

Ultimately, after more than half a year, the three of them emerged from the three hundred thousand miles of the Great Wilderness and arrived at the border of the Stone Kingdom.

During this period, Little One opened his fifth Heavenly Cave. A volcano erupted with golden liquid, which bubbled and surged into his body.

By now, his head, both sides of his body, as well as his chest and back, were surrounded by volcanic craters, and he was only nine years old.

Shi Lin's number of Heavenly Caves did not increase, but his Qilin Precious Technique had reached a minor stage of completion, and he had mastered the Qilin Fist and the Qilin Mark. If one observed Shi Lin's body closely, they would notice an aura of auspiciousness, with a Qilin-shaped mark on his chest.

If Shi Lin could master the Qilin Step and the Qilin Foot, he would be able to travel a thousand miles a day.

"Big Brother is so powerful. In just over half a year, you've broken through again! Village Chief Grandpa said that for others, opening a single Heavenly Cave takes at least several years!" Qingfeng was nearly worshipful. In his young heart, this big brother, who was close to his own age, was simply omnipotent.

"It's not enough. I must become stronger. Brother Lin is still very strong; I must keep chasing," Little One whispered, subconsciously glancing at Shi Lin.

Over the past half year, Qingfeng had also made rapid progress. With Little One's help, he had hunted many fierce beasts, bathed in their true blood, and consumed spiritual herbs, allowing him to enter the Blood-Moving Realm, nearing the middle stage.

His runes were already quite profound; his only weakness was that his physical frame was not strong enough to contend with the descendants of pure-blooded divine birds and fierce beasts like Little One could.

Finally, they entered the Stone Kingdom, not by the previous route, but through a different city.

The three of them walked along the street.

"Eh, I can sense the Void God Realm, but it's a pity I can't get in." After they entered the Stone Kingdom and arrived at a large city, Little One discovered this fact.

"Qingfeng, you go into the Void God Realm and take a look. Find those people named Uncle Hammer, Lord Bird, and Grandpa Essence Jade, and ask them where the Heaven Mending Pavilion is and how to get there."

Last time, he had stayed there for less than a day and had not had the chance to ask about these things.

Eventually, Qingfeng sat down, calmed his mind, sensed the Void God Realm, and finally entered.

After a full half-day, young Qingfeng's spirit returned to his body, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"How was it?" Little One asked expectantly. In truth, he missed that mysterious world.

"Big Brother, I didn't realize you were so famous. That world is in an uproar because of you," young Qingfeng said, clearly excited.

"What happened?"

Qingfeng replied, "You did so many things—shattering the passage of the Void God Realm, breaking one of the Double Pupil's records, and even destroying the record monument. Although you haven't appeared for over half a year, you have become a legendary figure. However... your reputation isn't exactly good," Qingfeng added cautiously.

Little One's face darkened, and he rubbed his chin, still feeling indignant and wanting to break back in.

"Uncle Hammer let it slip. Many people probably know you are going to the Heaven Mending Pavilion and the Deer-Hunting Academy. Now that world is going crazy, rioting, and it seems many people want to follow you to the Heaven Mending Pavilion and the Deer-Hunting Academy," Qingfeng said, sounding a bit uneasy.

In fact, the Void God Realm was currently causing a massive stir, all because that legendary brat was about to appear again—this time in reality.

Void God Realm, Initial Ground.

"Is it true? He's actually going to appear? I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to see him at the Heaven Mending Pavilion or the Deer-Hunting Academy to see just how extraordinary he is."

"Better to remember him than to meet him."

"Remember him? You think he's a lover? If I meet such a freakish child in those pure lands, I'll have to spank him until his bottom is in eighteen pieces!"

"That's true. In here, that brat is too brutal, and his combat power is a bit absurd—frighteningly high. We are restricted to the Blood-Moving Realm, so if we face him, we'll easily suffer a huge loss."

Inside the Initial Ground, that large bluestone continued to flicker, constructing one golden passage after another, and figures constantly appeared, stepping out from within.

These people came from higher-level blessed lands and caves. Having heard the news about that Little One, they attached great importance to it and had come specifically to verify it.

"Look at this mouth of mine, it truly deserves a slap!" Uncle Hammer slapped himself, filled with regret. He had been a bit too excited hearing the news about Little One today and had spoken too loudly, letting the information slip out all at once.

Lord Bird was very calm and not the least bit worried. "Stop blaming yourselves," he said. "Given that eccentric child's personality, he certainly won't suffer any losses. He's full of wicked schemes; I suspect he's probably cooking up some crooked plan right now."

Grandpa Essence Jade was even more of a piece of work. He set up a sign in the most crowded area with a line of large characters carved into it: To inquire about the whereabouts of the Milk-Guzzling Kid, please toss in one Essence Jade.

"That old thing!" Uncle Hammer's jaw nearly hit the ground when he saw it. That white-bearded old man was far too good at business; no wonder that eccentric child called him Grandpa Essence Jade.

Even Lord Bird lost his composure. He grabbed a tattered cloth and teamed up with Uncle Hammer to start selling fake information, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

"Look at that. Those two old men and the burly guy with the hammer are all the same breed as that brat—all of them are eccentrics and oddities."

Those who knew the inside story pointed from a distance, deeply grasping the profound meaning of "birds of a feather flock together," as it was being perfectly illustrated at that very moment.

A group of people clad in black armor appeared, their entire bodies shimmering with a cold, metallic luster. They strode out of the golden passage and quickly dispersed, questioning people about information regarding Little One.

The crowd was startled; these people were definitely powerful, and their origins were far from simple. With super-factions paying attention, it was unclear whether this was a blessing or a curse for that child.

Then, a beast bone appeared, wreathed in rising purple mist. It flew through the air with several people standing upon it, led by a woman in purple robes. She was bright-eyed and white-toothed, with a slender figure and striking beauty. Behind her followed several experts, as imposing as mountain peaks.

"This... why does it feel like they are royalty from some ancient kingdom?"

"Shh, hush. Do not speak recklessly; we must not provoke them."

Many people wore grave expressions, not daring to approach or interact with them for fear of inviting disaster.

The purple-robed woman stepped off the beast bone, her eyes shifting. She said nothing, simply tossing an Essence Jade at the stalls of Grandpa Essence Jade, Lord Bird, and the others, listening intently to their information.

"Fairy, you surely want to hear the truth." Grandpa Essence Jade looked solemn; he dared not deceive such a person. He stated directly that he could only confirm the brat would go to either the Heaven Mending Pavilion or the Deer-Hunting Academy, and he knew nothing else.

Lord Bird also looked grave and did not exaggerate. Having lived to their age, they naturally knew which people could not be provoked, and that even the slightest deception was forbidden.

"Those two old geezers are truly no good, and that hammer-wielding brute is no better!" the crowd whispered.

However, people were finally convinced that the child who could cause so much trouble—truly, an immense amount of trouble—was about to reveal his true form in the real world, and that it was neither rumor nor falsehood.

On this day, not only did the Void God Realm stir with waves, but the Stone Kingdom and other regions were also filled with much discussion. Many great factions were deeply concerned about the child who had broken one of Shi Yi's records and then been forcibly expelled by the Void God Realm because it could no longer tolerate him.

Everyone unanimously agreed that although this bear of a child was an oddity, his talent was world-shaking and his potential immeasurable, making him worth finding and recruiting to their own side.

In the next ten or twenty years, this child would likely shake all domains and become a near-invincible existence!

Some of the most powerful princes were taking action, dispatching warriors to search for him.

"Hmm, the War King has moved. He has actually sent out his eight most renowned generals; he is clearly determined to find this child."

"The Wood King has also come out of seclusion and sent his grandson to lead a group of experts to search. It seems he truly values that child; is he planning to bring him into his estate?"

Numerous great factions were in motion, sending their forces directly toward the Heaven Mending Pavilion and the Deer-Hunting Academy, as there was truly no better way than to wait there.