Number Ten Clone, Perfect World
Deep in the Great Wilderness.
The sky was vast, the forest boundless, and the roars of ferocious beasts shook the ancient trees.
Beside a campfire, young Shi Hao was devouring a piece of remnant meat, his cheeks bulging. Hearing a commotion in the distance, he called out indistinctly:
"Brother Yu, won't you come and have some? This meat smells so good!"
The sound reached Lin Yu's ears, who was not far away.
Lin Yu did not turn around.
Before him stood a colossal, black elephant several meters tall, its trunk like a steel whip, its hooves cracking the ground with every step—it was the Dragon-Horned Elephant of the Great Wilderness.
At this moment, the ferocious beast, now in a frenzy, was being held back by a seemingly slender figure.
There were no earth-shattering magical techniques, nor any fancy supernatural powers.
Lin Yu's feet sank deep into the mud, his back was as strong as a mountain, his arms were taut, and every muscle was bursting with the most primal and pure power.
The horned elephant charged wildly, its snorts thundering, but he pushed it back inch by inch.
The bones hummed softly, like metal striking stone.
The flow of qi and blood in the body is like a long river surging endlessly.
Roar--
The Dragon-Horned Elephant went berserk, its tusks thrusting straight at him.
Lin Yu's eyes turned cold. He neither dodged nor avoided the attack, relying solely on his physical body to take the hit.
With a sudden burst of strength, he grabbed the elephant's trunk and twisted his waist.
With a loud bang.
The behemoth, weighing several tons, was slammed to the ground with a simple over-the-shoulder throw.
Dust flew everywhere.
"Brother Yu, you've gotten even stronger."
"They'll surpass me soon."
Shi Hao's eyes lit up. He finished the meat in a few bites, and in a flash, he appeared in front of Lin Yu.
The boy reached out with one arm and easily grabbed the giant horn of the Dragon-Horned Elephant. With a flick of his arm, he slammed the still defiant beast heavily to the ground once again.
Bang--
The earth trembled.
The Dragon-Horned Elephant, which had been so ferocious just moments before, suddenly fainted and was no longer breathing.
Lin Yu's eyes twitched involuntarily as he watched this scene.
He suppressed the slight turmoil in his heart, dusted off his hands, and remained calm and composed.
"You're asking for it. I haven't even reached the Blood Transformation Realm Extreme Realm yet, how could I possibly surpass you in such a short time?" Lin Yu pretended to raise his hand.
Shi Hao grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Then I'll wait for Brother Yu to surpass me."
Lin Yu looked at the smiling boy in front of him.
I understand. Little Shi Hao's words didn't mean anything else; they were just full of sincere expectations.
Looking at the young man before me, the moonlight reflected on his face, which still carried a hint of childishness, yet his eyes already held the composure of someone who had weathered many storms.
Having been in this world for a few days, Lin Yu has also figured out the timeline.
The battle between the two stones is over.
That was a battle worthy of being recorded in the history of the Lower Realm. Shi Hao and Shi Yi, natural rivals, fought to the death in the Void God Realm.
After that battle, Shi Hao's name spread throughout the world, and no force dared to underestimate this young man who came from Stone Village.
But now, he's acting like nothing happened, squatting by the campfire, examining the unconscious Dragon-Horned Elephant from all sides, muttering, "This tusk is pretty good, I can forge a small magic weapon. The hide is thick enough to make armor for the adults in the village. The meat... hehe, that'll be enough to eat for several days."
Lin Yu looked at him and suddenly asked, "Little Stone, how long do you think it will take me to surpass you?"
Shi Hao raised his head, bit his finger, and thought seriously for a moment, "Brother Yu has only been here for a few days, but he has already caught up with my cultivation progress of several months. It may take him several years to surpass me."
"Brother Yu, once you break through to the Blood Transformation Realm Extreme Realm, I'll teach you precious techniques. I'll teach you any precious techniques I know, and any you want to learn."
He spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he could already see Lin Yu becoming stronger.
Lin Yu looked at him and suddenly understood something.
This young man, who came from Stone Village, experienced countless life-and-death situations, witnessed the ugliest side of human nature, and tasted the cruelest betrayal in the world.
But the purity in his eyes never changed.
He was neither servile nor arrogant towards the strong.
He neither bullies nor oppresses the weak.
He was generous with his knowledge and skills when it came to his friends.
Such a pure and innocent heart is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in any world.
"Okay." Lin Yu nodded.
"After we deal with this elephant, I'll go back to Stone Village with you."
Three days later, in Stone Village.
Lin Yu once again set foot in Stone Village.
The last time I came was the one before.
Stone Village has indeed become much more prosperous than before.
With Shi Hao growing up in Stone Village, the number of treasures within has visibly increased.
"Shi Hao is back?"
An aged yet powerful voice rang out.
Shi Hao quickly went to greet him, "Grandpa Village Chief."
The old man nodded, his gaze passing over Shi Hao and landing on Lin Yu, sizing him up from head to toe.
"Lin Yu?"
Although a long time has passed, Shi Yunfeng still has some recollection of it.
The small figure in his mind gradually overlapped with the person in front of him, and Shi Yunfeng confirmed it uncertainly.
"Grandpa Village Chief still remembers me."
Lin Yu was momentarily delighted to see that Shi Yunfeng still recognized him.
Shi Yunfeng stared at Lin Yu for a moment, his eyes recalling, "How could I not remember? You were about the same age as Little Stone back then, the two of you running around the village together, and you were only this tall."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hand to indicate his height. "How did you grow so big in the blink of an eye?"
Lin Yu's lips curled into a slight smile.
The original body had only been in Stone Village for three days, but Shi Yunfeng remembered it to this day.
Shi Hao jumped up beside him. "Grandpa Village Chief, Brother Yu used to live in our village when he was little, do you remember? I thought you had forgotten."
Lin Yu looked at him and suddenly recalled the scene when he first met this boy.
How old was Shi Hao back then?
Four years old? Five years old?
Who would have thought that the little kid from back then would become a world-renowned young prodigy?
Shi Hao seemed to remember something too, and grinned, "Brother Yu, do you remember? When you first arrived, you were very weak, and you almost died after eating a piece of meat."
Lin Yu's lips twitched. "I don't remember."
"Hehe, I still remember, back then, Brother Yu's blood rushed to his head after just one bite."
You're mistaken.
Shi Hao said confidently, "Impossible, I'm absolutely right."
Lin Yu: "..."
Seeing Shi Hao's confident expression, he chose to remain silent.
Anyway, he had only been there for three days, so it's normal for his memory to be hazy.
Watching the two bicker, Shi Yunfeng stroked his beard and chuckled, "Little Stone was really naughty back then, always causing trouble. Lin Yu was much better behaved."
"Hehe." Shi Hao scratched his head. It was indeed embarrassing to have his secrets exposed in front of acquaintances.
Shi Yunfeng looked at the two of them, his eyes full of satisfaction. "Alright, it's rare for Lin Yu to come back. Little Stone, take him for a walk around the village and see how much our Stone Village has changed over the years."
"Alright!" Shi Hao jumped three feet high and pulled Lin Yu along as they ran towards the village.
"Brother Yu, let's go! I'll show you some good stuff!"
Lin Yu, pulled along, stumbled a couple of steps and said helplessly, "Slow down, I can't run away."
The two walked past the old willow tree at the village entrance and continued into the village.
The last time Lin Yu came to Stone Village was when he was six years old.
Back then, Stone Village was dilapidated and simple, with crooked wooden houses. The village children ran around barefoot, and their food consisted of the simplest animal meat and wild vegetables.
Looking at it now, it's completely different.
In the open space of the village, several teenagers were practicing their martial arts, their fists and feet moving with great force, accompanied by the faint rumble of thunder.
Further away, a small warehouse was even built, with various medicinal herbs and animal hides piled up at the entrance.
"How about that?" Shi Hao asked smugly.
"I earned all of this!"
"Impressive, impressive." Lin Yu patted Shi Hao's head.
"Of course." Shi Hao puffed out his small chest.
"Now the children have the resources to cultivate, and in a few years, we'll definitely see several masters emerge."
The two walked around a few more times. Shi Hao showed Lin Yu the newly built training ground and medicinal herb garden...
Finally, they circled around and stopped under the willow tree at the entrance of the village.
The willow tree remains vigorous, its branches gnarled and its bark mottled, as if it has stood here since time immemorial.
But Lin Yu could sense that the tree's aura was completely different from that of its original form when it was six years old.
At that time, the Willow God was broken and weak, like a flickering candle that could be extinguished at any moment.
Now, the willow tree is surrounded by a faint glow, and runes are faintly visible among its branches. Every time it sways gently in the wind, it resonates with the spiritual energy of the surrounding world.