First Meeting with Huo Ling'er

The people of Stone Village looked at Old Bì leaning against the wolf's back and were startled to discover that he radiated the powerful aura of a primordial treasure technique.

Shi Yunfeng clenched his fists. "As expected of an ancestral sacrificial spirit capable of protecting an entire region. It has some foundations and means, after all. Everyone, be careful."

Old Bì was indeed incredibly powerful. Even with ancestral artifacts to resist him, the people of Stone Village were ultimately no match for him. Only with the recovering Azure-Scaled Eagle's help had Shi Hao managed to launch a sneak attack and seriously wound him; they had not truly defeated the enemy.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin, meanwhile, did not reveal their true strength. Even Shi Hao, the protagonist of this world, was no match for Old Bì, so it would not have been appropriate for them to display too much power.

"Willow God, we need your help. Please leave the village and protect your people."

Seeing the severely wounded Old Bì preparing to make a desperate final counterattack, Shi Yunfeng had no choice but to pray for the ancestral sacrificial spirit to intervene.

Around the enormous willow tree in Stone Village, glowing mist rose and swirled. Verdant willow branches, accompanied by shimmering multicolored radiance, lashed toward Old Bì in an instant like Order Divine Chains.

Struck by the willow branches, Old Bì let out a heart-wrenching scream. His body was pulverized in an instant, torn apart into fragments before finally turning to dust and vanishing into the air.

Before the Willow God, Old Bì had no power to resist whatsoever. The strength the Willow God displayed left every stunned villager of Stone Village speechless.

Not long after bringing Suanni's precious body back to Stone Village, Shi Yunfeng prepared medicine cauldrons and boiling water for Shi Hao, Huo Yuhao, and Tang Wulin's cleansing ritual. He mixed Suanni's true blood, the Demon Ape's arm, and other precious medicinal treasures into them.

While waiting for the three to finish their cleansing ritual, a fierce battle among vicious beasts was taking place in the depths of the Great Wilderness over the Mountain Treasure—the Primordial True Explanation. It triggered a violent volcanic eruption throughout the Great Wilderness.

Magma rapidly swallowed the land. The Great Wilderness shook violently, plunging into a catastrophic disaster. In the blink of an eye, the place became a scene of devastation, with countless living beings suffering.

The Willow God activated a teleportation formation. Only at the very last moment, when the three had safely completed their cleansing ritual, did it teleport Stone Village away, allowing the village to escape the encroaching magma.

After this cleansing ritual, all three had basically comprehended the true essence of the Suanni Treasure Technique, and their strength improved significantly.

"Grandpa Chief, I want to return to the Great Wilderness and take one more look at Stone Village. I need to leave a letter to guide Father and Mother, so they won't be unable to find me when they return."

Seeing Shi Hao's resolute attitude, Shi Yunfeng reluctantly agreed in the end. He had Purple Cloud take Shi Hao back to check whether the Great Wilderness had been completely destroyed. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin naturally volunteered to accompany Shi Hao as well, so they could look after one another.

Looking at the former site of Stone Village, now reduced to ruins, Shi Hao's gaze flickered. He carefully placed a letter atop a huge boulder.

Suddenly, a loud crash of collapsing rocks sounded in the distance. The three immediately ran over to investigate.

To their surprise, they found a furry little golden monkey curled up atop a rock. Shi Hao picked it up and gently stroked its smooth golden fur.

Seeing that the little monkey was covered in wounds, Tang Wulin suggested, "Let's bring it back for the Willow God to treat. It looks badly injured."

Shi Hao nodded. "It has golden fur all over, and when it curls up, it's as plump as a ball. Let's call it Furball. We'll take Furball back now."

"Wait, there's someone nearby."

Huo Yuhao suddenly warned them.

As though confirming Huo Yuhao's words, a girl in red, about the same height and age as the three of them, stepped out from the shadows and walked before them.

"How uncultured. It's terrifying. Its name is Zhu Yan. It is Zhu Yan, one of the four supreme beings who destroyed the Great Wilderness while fighting over the Mountain Treasure." The girl in red pointed at the little golden monkey in Shi Hao's hands.

Worthy of Shi Hao, known as the Bear Child, he rebelliously retorted, "Whatever I say it's called, that's what it's called. Furball, Furball, Furball! Bleh, bleh, bleh!"

The girl in red stamped her feet in anger. "Do you know who I am? How dare you ignore what I said!"

Hearing that, Shi Hao actually began seriously examining the girl before him. With a solemn expression, he said, "I don't know who you are, but judging by your figure, you must have eaten a lot of good things. I'll call you Fat Girl for now."

Tang Wulin, who had been watching from the side, tilted his head. "Are children this age really all so innocent-minded?"

"Seems like they are."

Huo Yuhao watched the angry girl in red and Shi Hao begin trading treasure techniques after just a few words, his expression strange as he answered Tang Wulin's question.

"You crude mountain savage! You really can't listen to a single word of reason."

"You Fat Girl, you're the one who doesn't make any sense at all."

In Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin's eyes, Shi Hao and the girl in red's little scuffle was no different from young lovers teasing each other. Neither of them stepped in to help either side.

The result was predictable. The girl in red, no match for Shi Hao, was bullied by him until she finally squatted on the ground and cried miserably. Shi Hao had never seen such a scene before, so he hurried over to comfort her.

"Don't cry. I won't call you Fat Girl anymore, all right? But you should at least tell me your name first."

"Hmph! Why should I tell you?" The girl in red turned away, unwilling to even look at the Bear Child who had bullied her.

Shi Hao had a sudden idea and handed the little golden monkey in his arms to the girl in red. "Just like how you told me Furball's real name is Zhu Yan, I can honestly tell you that my real name is Shi Hao. So now, can you tell me who you really are?"

Quickly wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, the girl in red accepted the little golden monkey. How could she possibly resist such an adorable furry creature? She gently stroked its smooth golden fur and could not put it down.

After a moment, the girl in red finally replied, "Since you're being so sincere, it won't hurt to tell you. Remember this: my name is Huo Ling'er."

"No wonder your temper is so fiery..." Shi Hao muttered without thinking.

"What did you say?" Huo Ling'er demanded.

"Nothing. I said Ling'er is a rather nice name." Shi Hao coughed lightly and hurriedly changed his words.

"This kid's survival instincts are pretty strong." Watching from nearby, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin laughed in unison.

"Your Highness—"

A flying carriage suddenly descended from the distance. The old man driving it climbed down and immediately approached Huo Ling'er, whom Shi Hao had protectively kept behind him.

The old man bowed with cupped hands. "Your Highness, your father is very worried about you. Please return with me at once."

Huo Ling'er said helplessly, "When will he stop meddling in my affairs...?"

The old man smiled. "Even if Your Highness fled to the ends of the earth, he would still find you."

"These are Essence Jades. You can use them to buy many things."

Huo Ling'er handed a bag of Essence Jades and the little golden monkey to Shi Hao. Seeming reluctant to part, she said, "Cure Zhu Yan and take good care of it. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it."

With that, Huo Ling'er boarded the carriage with the old man and gave Shi Hao, Huo Yuhao, and Tang Wulin a final farewell.

Shi Hao scratched his head. "Make me regret it? She clearly seemed unable to beat me."

Tang Wulin smiled helplessly. "But when she cried, you still had no idea what to do with her."

Huo Yuhao said frankly, "Essence Jades are probably a common currency. Judging by this amount, they should be enough to buy quite a lot. She was so generous to you, so don't waste her good intentions."

Shi Hao curled his lip. "Why are you two taking her side? Are you even still my good brothers?"

Tang Wulin smiled. "Of course we are. Yuhao and I will always stand by your side."

Huo Yuhao agreed, "But we were only speaking objectively and telling the truth. They may be hard to hear, but they are honest words. In short, it's all for your own good."

Shi Hao looked confused. "So that's how it is. I'll believe you two for now."

In the end, the three rode on Purple Cloud's back and returned together to New Stone Village.