This was a majestic complex of buildings, suffused with spiritual energy and gleaming treasures, with palaces clustered together like a heavenly city built on earth. Auspicious beasts crouched and roared, guarding the grand entrance.
"Father shot a very pure-blooded young Pixiu, and it has caused a huge disaster," said a young man of impressive bearing, pacing back and forth inside the hall, deeply uneasy.
In the residence of nobility, shimmering mists flowed, rare birds sang above the palaces, casting dazzling lights. The lakes within the estate were crystal clear, waterways crisscrossed, rock formations stood tall, lush trees flourished, and the gardens stretched expansively, presenting a magnificent scene. It was a paradise, overflowing with divine essence.
"I hope Father can withdraw from the Battlefield of the Hundred Clans as soon as possible," said a beautiful woman holding a baby, her delicate eyebrows knitted in worry.
"It's too late to say anything now. The news has already reached the imperial capital. The incident of shooting the Pixiu's young happened many days ago. What was meant to happen has likely already occurred," the young man clenched his fists, his sharp brows furrowed, and lightning flashed in his eyes, causing thunder to rumble inside the room.
The sleeping baby opened his pure eyes, not understanding what was happening.
"Don't scare the child," the beautiful woman said.
"These past days have been too torturous, and I've neglected Hao'er. Why is he so sleepy, and why do I feel like there's a talismanic aura in his body?" The young man turned around.
"Ah, you noticed it too. I thought it was my imagination. How could he have talismans in his body at such a young age?" The young woman was puzzled.
"Could it be..." The majestic young man suddenly opened his eyes wide, two beams of lightning shot out through the window, startling a group of auspicious birds into flight.
"What have you thought of?" the beautiful woman asked.
"True supreme beings of the human race, some eventually develop sacred bones, bearing their own primal marks and unique primal treasures," the man said firmly, then excitedly continued, "A very few are even born with primal treasure bones, like the Golden-Winged Roc or the True Hou, naturally possessing supreme treasures. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them Supreme Bones."
The beautiful woman was astonished, looking at the adorable baby in her arms with incredulous eyes, her hands trembling.
"Let me examine him carefully," the young man said decisively, striding over.
The baby was curious, not knowing what they were going to do. He blinked his big eyes and happily stretched out his arms, wanting to be held.
After a thorough examination, the man was shocked, his fingers trembling. Usually calm and decisive, he stammered, "Supreme Bone by birth..."
This meant that in the future, this child could rival ancient celestial beasts, battle the pure-blooded Golden-Winged Roc or True Hou, and his unique primal treasures would astonish the world, inscribing his name in the history of humanity.
The woman gently kissed the baby's rosy cheeks, her eyes sparkling with a bright light. "Whether he has the Supreme Bone or not, he is our child, and we must let him grow up happily."
A few days later, news came from the Battlefield of the Hundred Clans. The adult Pixiu went on a rampage, sweeping across the vast battlefield, unmatched.
Although the Fifteenth Lord was surrounded by many experts, they couldn't stop it. He was chased for hundreds of thousands of miles, losing an arm and having almost all his bones broken.
In the end, he was helped by someone and used several treasure bones of ancient remnants to set up a divine formation, narrowly escaping with his life. However, he disappeared without a trace, his life or death unknown, and did not return to the capital.
"I must go find Father," the young man stood up abruptly after receiving the news, deciding to head to the southern borders.
"The clan has already sent out many experts, and the Emperor has issued a decree for all lords to search and rescue. What good will it do if you go?" The young woman feared her husband might risk his life to find the terrifying Pixiu.
"Father's life is unknown. I must do everything I can to find him," the man insisted.
Knowing her husband's stubbornness, the beautiful woman decided to go with him. "I'll go with you. There are two treasure techniques that require both of us to reach their full potential, with unmatched power."
"No, you need to take care of Hao'er," the man refused.
"How can I be at ease?" The woman shook her head, her expression gentle. "The clan has so many people. How could they not take good care of little Hao? Unless the ancient beasts breach the imperial capital, no one would dare cause trouble at our estate."
The man thought for a moment and agreed.
The news about Shi Hao's Supreme Bone had been secretly reported to two elders in charge of the clan. They would surely treat him as a precious treasure and ensure his safety.
This matter was classified as top secret due to its significance. Outwardly, having Shi Yi, who was born with heavy pupils, was enough, as his unique eyes were easily recognized. Shi Hao's Supreme Bone was harder to detect and could only be sensed by those very close to him. Thus, there was no need to reveal it, to prevent it from being coveted, which could lead to early demise.
"Eleventh Brother and Sister-in-law, are you really going? The clan has already dispatched many experts, and they will surely bring the Fifteenth Lord back," a clan member tried to dissuade them.
"Yes, you don't need to worry. The Fifteenth Lord will be fine," another added.
Despite the clan's efforts to persuade them, the couple insisted on leaving.
"Don't worry, Eleventh Brother. I'll look after Hao'er. He'll often be with Yi'er. When they grow up, they'll conquer the wilderness and dominate the clans together," a beautiful woman said with a smile.
She was Shi Yi's mother, and her high status in the clan came from her son's exceptional talent. Her smile was warm and kind, revealing pearly teeth.
"Thank you, Sixth Sister-in-law. Having a few clan elders watch over him is enough. It's too much trouble for you," the couple thanked her.
"No need to be so polite. We're all family," she replied warmly.
Finally, the couple set off, leaving the ancient kingdom for the Battlefield of the Hundred Clans.
"Yi'er, you should be close to little Hao. He has extraordinary potential and will be your right-hand man in the future," the woman advised her son upon returning to their palaces.
"Okay," the three-year-old boy replied steadily, behaving far beyond his age.
The clan took care of Shi Hao, and with many servants around, there was no problem. Except for the first few days when he missed his parents, he was well taken care of.
A few days later, the woman brought Shi Hao to her residence and saw her son staring at the baby with glowing eyes. "Yi'er, why do you keep staring at your brother?" she asked, puzzled.
"He's extraordinary. There's a bone in his body, covered with complex symbols, mysterious and profound," Shi Yi replied calmly.
The woman was shocked. She knew her son was exceptional, with heavy pupils, a feature of ancient sages and deities, allowing him to see through many mysteries.
Suddenly, she remembered something and urgently asked, "You said there's a bone in his body, covered with primal symbols?"
"Yes," the boy replied calmly.
"Born with the Supreme Bone..." she trembled, recalling an ancient legend, unable to contain her excitement.
For a long time, her expression changed repeatedly as she stared at the pure and innocent baby, a fierce light flashing in her eyes. She then turned and instructed her son, "Don't tell anyone."
The boy nodded without saying a word.
A few months passed, and little Shi Hao grew increasingly adorable. He was now over a year old and could walk on his own and speak, his eyes bright and lively, his complexion fair and beautiful like a porcelain doll. Anyone who saw him couldn't help but pinch his chubby cheeks.
During this time, the beautiful woman treated little Shi Hao exceptionally well, almost as if he were her own child. Eventually, she brought him to live with her, alongside Shi Yi, to take care of both of them together.
"Big Auntie, I want to go to the garden to see the Red-Feathered Crane. Sister Aman said it's very beautiful, red like fire, and its call is very melodious," the little one said with wide, blinking eyes, his long eyelashes trembling. His childish voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of babyish innocence.
Typically, children this young couldn't speak so clearly or walk so steadily, but he had no such problems.
"Aman is a servant girl. Why listen to her nonsense? I'll take you to see the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock King instead," the woman said.
"Sister Aman is a good sister, very kind, and also very beautiful. She often tells me stories and is really nice," little Shi Hao said innocently, blinking his big eyes.
"Alright, we'll go see the Red-Feathered Crane after dinner. Later, I'll take you to see the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock King," the woman smiled.
"Auntie, you're the best," the little one said, looking up with his little hands clasped together, his eyes full of stars and hope.
Then he turned and said, "Big Brother, let's go play in the backyard. There are many kids there."
"No," Shi Yi refused, sitting cross-legged, incredibly steady for his age, silently cultivating his bones.
"Oh, then I'm going to play," the little one said, and he toddled off to the "backyard," where he played happily with the servants' children.
Shi Hao was beautiful, kind, and never bullied the servants' children. He often played with them, and thus, everyone in the household, from top to bottom, liked him very much.
A few days later, the woman took Shi Yi and little Shi Hao away from the noble residence, driving to an estate to see descendants of the ancient divine birds like the Luan Bird and the Five-Colored Peacock.
"Big Auntie, where are the Luan Birds?" the little one asked curiously, somewhat puzzled as they entered the estate and went straight into a subterranean palace.
"You'll see them soon," the woman said expressionlessly.
When they reached a secret chamber, the woman lit a symbol on her fingertip and pressed it on little Shi Hao. However, his treasure bone glowed, dissolving the symbol, and he didn't faint.
"As expected of a Supreme Bone," the woman's eyes burned even more intensely, knowing that the treasure bone had only just begun to grow.
She clapped her hands, and a shadow appeared nearby, moving like a ghost, silently approaching and lifting the little one, pressing him onto a cold bed.
"Big Auntie, what are you doing?" the child asked innocently. At just over a year old, he was pure and kind, not understanding what was happening.
A dazzling silver knife flashed, flowing with a mesmerizing light, cutting open the little one's chest. Blood flowed instantly, along with a hazy divine radiance, filled with countless mysterious symbols, flashing continuously.
"It hurts," the little one cried out in pain, his eyes filled with terror. He couldn't understand why this was happening to him; he was just a baby.
"He doesn't faint; this is troublesome," the woman said coldly.
Beside her, another child, Shi Yi, watched silently, his expression unreadable, making one doubt that he was less than four years old.
Blood flowed, and the little one's face turned pale. His bright eyes dimmed, constantly crying out in pain, weeping blood.
"Nothing must go wrong. I've researched the Bone Grafting Book. It records that this transplant can succeed. My son, with his double pupils, is destined to be supreme," the woman shouted, tense.
"Big Auntie," the little one called out, his face covered in tears, reaching out his tiny hands, pleading to ease his pain.
But the woman was unmoved, her face cold. She only urged the ghostly figure to be careful not to let the Supreme Bone lose its vitality.
"Done," finally, the shadow growled like a beast, pulling out a glowing mass from the child's chest. It had an indescribable magic, even just beginning to grow, making souls tremble and emitting endless divine light, illuminating the entire chamber.
"Yi'er, your turn now. You must endure," the woman said, nervous, instructing the other child.
The child nodded without a word.
He lay on a jade bed, and the silver knife flashed again. Blood flowed as his chest was opened.
"Be careful, don't make any mistakes," the woman said fiercely, worried for her own child.
On the nearby cold bed, the little one, now without his Supreme Bone, lay exhausted and in pain. His white face was full of tears, his long eyelashes fluttering with each blink, shedding crystalline tears. He reached out his small hands, seemingly grasping for warmth, and murmured, "Big Auntie," pleading with a trembling voice.
The woman glanced at him coldly, then looked away, focusing on the other bed with a loving expression. Her voice was soft and tender, "Yi'er, you must endure. The future of this great domain is yours, for you are born supreme."
Beside them, the little one, now without his Supreme Bone, lay alone on the cold bed, his white face tear-streaked. He slowly fell unconscious, murmuring, "Mother," in his most painful moments, calling for his true parent, breaking hearts.
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