He saw a blurry image, devoid of warmth, only coldness. Though intermittent, it was heart-wrenching. He wanted to see clearly, but the mist rolled in, obscuring everything.
At that time, he was too young to have a real, clear memory. It was merely a profound imprint in his subconscious, emerging due to emotional agitation.
"Child, don't cry. Everyone in the village is your family; this is your home," Shiyunfeng said, using his rough palm to wipe the tears from the child's face.
"Little one, don't cry. We are all your brothers. Don't think about unhappy things," a group of children surrounded him with comforting words.
Little Shi Hao wiped away his tears and said, "Grandpa, please continue."
"There isn't much more to say. Your parents didn't say much," Shiyunfeng recounted the events of those years.
The couple had taken care of Shi Hao in Stone Village for a few months. After ensuring he could survive, they left. At that time, the weak little one was just over a year old, but looked like a child of only six months.
"They didn't want me anymore," Little Shi Hao cried again, his big eyes filled with tears.
"No," Shiyunfeng shook his head and said, "They didn't want to leave you, but they had to go because they sought the holy medicine to cure your injuries."
Pikou scratched his head and said quietly, "I was small then, but I remember a bit. That uncle was very strong, though he looked sickly, and that aunt was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."
"I remember quite well. The little one lost his parents when he was half a year old. They disappeared then," Shi Dazhuang nodded.
Though years had passed, the old chief still vividly recalled the couple's reluctance and sorrow when they left. "You were their only child. They said that even if they had to die, they couldn't watch you weaken."
Little Shi Hao's eyes overflowed with tears as he called out, "Father, Mother, where are you?"
The chief spoke of the events from back then, and his heart felt lighter. The couple was very powerful but mentioned little about the ancient country, leaving many things unclear.
The couple went to seek the holy medicine, which meant they had to venture into the most dangerous primordial lands, such as the Ancient God Mountain. It was likely they encountered true beasts there, which would provoke competition among ancient creatures.
"Shen Liu, can you help me see what’s in my subconscious?" Little Shi Hao whispered beneath the tree, eager for understanding.
"I am about to fall into a deep slumber. When you are a bit older, and your vitality is stronger, in a year or two," surprisingly, the willow tree responded.
"Okay," the little one’s eyes widened with hope as he clenched his small fists. He was no longer sad; his simple goal was to understand his body’s condition and find out where his parents went.
The villagers found that the place was indeed very suitable for habitation, with no ferocious beasts and plenty of game in the distant mountains. Though there were fierce birds and beasts, they were not too difficult to deal with.
The nearby lake had all kinds of fish, especially the dragon whisker fish, which was extremely precious. It made every villager smile with delight. In the past, even the direct descendants of the Purple Mountain lineage, Thunder Tribe, and Golden Wolf Clan could not afford such luxurious consumption of rare fish every day.
"We should go outside and see what this place is like, how far it is from the original Vast Mountains, and what has happened to our former dwelling," Shi Linhu said.
"Uncle, let me go. I’ll go with Aunt Qinglin Ying to check it out thoroughly."
Amidst the envious gazes of the children, the little one climbed onto Qinglin Ying’s back. With a silver pair of wings spread wide, they soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
The fierce bird was extremely sensitive to direction. After circling once in the high sky, it quickly flew toward one direction, moving as fast as a silver lightning bolt.
"Ah, what happened? Why have these mountains collapsed?" Little Shi Hao exclaimed, surprised by the abnormalities on the earth, even after flying hundreds of miles.
The earth was cracked, lifeless, and the mountains and rivers had completely collapsed, cutting off all vitality.
As they went deeper, he saw broken walls and ruins. One giant city after another had been destroyed, turning into huge ruins, stained with blood but devoid of any corpses.
After traveling thousands of miles, not a single person was found, only traces of blood. Many large tribes had been destroyed, and this vast territory had become a dead zone.
"That’s a huge footprint."
From the high sky, level with the clouds, he could clearly see a massive footprint that had crushed a mountain range, shattering many peaks.
The little one was shocked by such a colossal creature.
Continuing forward, several deep abysses appeared on the ground, dark and boundless. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were claw marks, made by some fierce bird’s talon.
"This fierce bird," Little Shi Hao stared in daze.
Qinglin Ying trembled, experiencing a soul-deep shiver, an awe of the supreme beings. Although a bird as well, the difference was immense.
As they proceeded, the land was scorched and desolate for thousands of miles, the entire range of mountains melted, and the landscape was one of intense burning.
"Could this be the result of Little Red being driven to desperation?" Little Shi Hao mused.
Qinglin Ying, possessing great wisdom, circled these battlefields for a long time, capturing the essence of the formidable battle intent. It seemed to gain insights, especially from the traces of bird battles, which were very helpful.
"Aunt Qing, when Ziyun and Dapeng learn to fly, I’ll come back here with them to comprehend," Little Shi Hao said.
With a long cry, Qinglin Ying responded, showing appreciation for the little one’s wisdom and understanding.
Continuing forward, endless mountains had collapsed, many being swept away, with thousands of majestic peaks neatly broken, creating a terrifying sight.
After half a day of travel, Qinglin Ying finally returned to avoid potential dangers, as the post-battle wasteland could still be extremely hazardous.
They returned at sunset. The journey had been long, and even though Qinglin Ying was a descendant of an ancient demonic bird, it was quite tired.
"Wow, Aunt Qinglin Ying is back!" A group of children shouted.
"Child, what did you find? Where is this place? How far is it from the Vast Mountains?" Shi Feijiao asked. A large crowd gathered, including several clan elders, all very concerned about the answer.
"I don't know how far it is from our original dwelling. I think it’s at least fifty thousand miles away. The whole land has sunk, and the mountains have collapsed."
Little Shi Hao recounted everything he had seen along the way, leaving the crowd stunned.
"It truly is a great disaster. No wonder the willow god wanted to move Stone Village away," the chief sighed. He knew well that without the willow tree, Stone Village would have been leveled, with no survivors. The devastating scene of that land said it all.
In the following month, Little Shi Hao occasionally went out with Qinglin Ying, sometimes disappearing for many days. Finally, he clarified the situation.
"Grandpa Chief, the Vast Mountains for thousands of miles have completely shattered. We can’t find our dwelling," Little Shi Hao brought news that left everyone in shock.
Within a radius of one hundred thousand miles, all life had perished. Even the fierce beasts and swarms of fierce birds had disappeared, their whereabouts unknown, perhaps devoured by supreme beings.
A hundred thousand miles of territory had turned into a wasteland, with not a single living being in sight, all extinguished.
"What a calamity. The Thunder Tribe, Purple Mountain, Luofu Great Marsh, and Golden Wolf Tribe—such powerful groups, with tens of millions of people in their territories—are now gone," an elder of the clan lamented, deeply sorrowful.
Though there had been past hostilities and grievances, in the face of such a disaster, those old grudges seemed insignificant. The combined population of all these great tribes was in the billions, and now they were all dead. This was a catastrophic event beyond imagination.
"To become stronger."
"We must become stronger so that we can protect our home."
A group of children shouted, their hearts trembling with fear from the tragedy, but it also ignited a fierce determination within them. They all clamored to become powerful.
"Yes, we must start now and work hard on our training. Now, the area within a hundred thousand miles has become a vacuum; perhaps we can establish a nation here," said a slightly older child.
"Our ambition is grand, but the challenge is immense. The ancient nations survived from the primordial era to the present because they might have had ancient deities still alive and were themselves extremely powerful. Even a mere household guard from those ancient nations could easily destroy the Golden Wolf Tribe or Luofu Great Marsh. The terror of those ancient, undying nations is beyond imagination," the chief sighed.
"Don’t be afraid. We have the Willow God. When we grow up, we will be very powerful. With Little Shi Hao’s current talent to fight with the True Ancient Beast cubs, isn't it possible to conquer a vast nation in the future?" The children were defiant, all clenching their fists.
"Good, I look forward to your future achievements. According to the late elders, our clan was very powerful in ancient times, once having ancient deities who could battle true ancient beasts. I hope you can revive the glory and make our ancestral land renowned across this vast region," Shiyunfeng said. He patted the children's heads in encouragement, believing that true men must be strong and have grand ambitions.
In the following days, the children of Stone Village worked hard, striving to improve, practicing their skills, and strengthening their bodies until they became as strong as fierce beasts.
The settlement was blessed with favorable conditions. Besides the dragon whisker fish, the villagers discovered the Dragon Tendon Snake. Although a very fierce snake, it could be hunted, and its tendons were extremely valuable. After being boiled, they could significantly strengthen one's bones, making it a rare and precious medicine.
Not only did the children grow rapidly, but the adults also greatly benefited, becoming robust and full of strength.
Time flew by, and more than a year passed. According to his original age, Little Shi Hao was just over five years old, but considering the months he had "lost" in his early years, he was now six.
"I’m six now and can lift a stone weighing thirty thousand pounds. Willow God, when will you awaken?"
In front of the great willow tree, Little Shi Hao whispered. After more than a year, he had grown taller, his big eyes shining with intelligence. He looked fair and handsome, more refined and charming.
"Cheep cheep."
Birdsong echoed in the sky. Ziyun, Dapeng, and Little Qing hadn't grown very fast, but now their bodies were four meters long. They could spread their wings and soar into the clouds at great speed.
"Don’t rush. I’m coming to explore the battlefield relics with you," Shi Hao waved his hand and then leaped into the sky, landing steadily on Ziyun’s back.
"Woo woo."
With the howling wind, they quickly disappeared into the horizon, heading towards the desolate land of death.
This was a shattered landscape—cracked earth, collapsed mountains, desolate and silent.
"This time we should change our direction and head west." After entering the battlefield, Shi Hao pointed towards the broken mountain range in the west.
The wind howled as they moved swiftly, soon arriving at the collapsed mountain range to carefully search for remnants of the battle.
"Cheep cheep," Little Qing called out, flying towards a huge basin, its body adorned with brilliant stripes. After consuming the flesh and blood of the Suan Ni, it had also undergone mutations.
"Hey, this isn’t a basin; it's a huge lake that has dried up due to the earth-shattering battle," Little Shi Hao exclaimed in surprise.
Suddenly, Ziyun made a sound, indicating the presence of life below.
The large Dapeng, glowing with a faint golden light, dived down and circled the dry lake.
"What is that creature?" Little Shi Hao wondered.
At the bottom of the dried-up lake lay a creature covered in dirt, motionless as if buried for many years. If not for its glowing eyes, one might have doubted it was still alive.
"Ah, it’s a monkey, only about a foot long. How does it have three heads and six arms?" Shi Hao was astonished.
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