The bluestone slab at the village entrance still held the lingering warmth of the void teleportation.
With the Black Pot on his back, Shi Hou held Shi Hao by the back of his collar in his left hand. The round-bodied Kang perched on his shoulder.
"Come on, let's take a look."
The instant he finished speaking, a man, a toddler, and a pig blurred into a streak and shot out of the village.
As Shi Hou drew the air of this new world into his lungs, its rich vital essence felt almost tangible, stirring the blood and qi within him.
They passed through dense, waist-high grass, and the view suddenly opened up.
A little lake, blue as a freshly washed sky, lay nestled in the heart of the valley, wreathed in mist.
The water broke with a splash.
A strange fish as long as an adult's arm leaped out, its entire body covered in dark golden scales. Two half-meter-long dragon whiskers beside its mouth swayed in the wind, refracting dazzling spots of sunlight.
Splash. The fish fell back into the water, sending out a ring of ripples.
On the shallows beside the lake, a flock of brilliantly feathered birds pecked for food. Each was as large as a domestic dog, with trailing tail feathers in five gorgeous colors: red, yellow, blue, green, and purple. Their claws raked through the sand and mud, easily crushing the hard pebbles beneath them.
Shi Hou stopped.
Shi Hao wriggled out of his grip and landed firmly on his two little feet.
Kang jumped down from his shoulder, planting all four trotters in the mud.
Gulp.
Three perfectly synchronized swallowing sounds rang out beside the lake.
"Dragon-Whisker Fish."
Shi Hou rubbed his chin, an utterly villainous smile spreading across his pitch-black cheeks. "Firm flesh, no