One arm's swing generates a force of forty to fifty thousand pounds, and swinging both arms can produce ten thousand pounds of divine strength. This was merely their estimation, not a true understanding of the child’s capabilities. Even so, they were extremely shocked, and everyone expressed their astonishment and admiration.
“Hmm?” The old woman frowned, feeling that something was amiss. Silver symbols flickered in her eyes, resembling a vanishing galaxy.
Suddenly, she looked up, her eyes shooting out two beams of startling light, and said, “We were mistaken.”
“How were we mistaken?” asked a young man nearby.
The old woman took out a piece of eggshell from her bosom, which was as delicate as jade, with a glossy sheen and five-colored patterns, reflecting with a halo. It was a fragment of the ancient divine species' egg.
“I overlooked it earlier and have just realized. That child and the little mountain beast on his shoulder have a familiar aura. Initially, I thought they were stained with beast blood and had the scent of fierce beasts. Now, upon closer inspection, it seems to be the aura of an egg laid by the descendants of the ancient divine bird.”
Everyone was shocked by this revelation.
“No way, the child actually consumed an egg of the ancient divine king’s descendants? That’s astonishing,” said a young man, his mouth gaping wide enough to swallow half a fist.
“A harmless little fellow, daring enough to go into the ancient species' nest to take an egg?”
The group found it hard to believe and were left dumbfounded by the result.
Such a situation, if reported, would be hard to believe. A mere child dared to delve into the ancient species' nest and accomplish such an incredible feat.
While they were astounded, there was also a sense of regret. The egg of a divine bird’s offspring could have provided insights into the secrets of the ancient divine king's treasure if hatched and raised.
Such a precious egg had been consumed by that child and the mountain beast.
What a waste! What kind of family could have a child capable of such actions?
“That’s strange. The little mountain beast also ate part of the five-colored bird egg. Could it be extraordinary as well?” a middle-aged man in the group questioned.
Others were momentarily stunned. How could an ordinary mountain beast withstand the essence of an ancient species and not be overwhelmed or die?
“I think I saw that its paw was red, about the size of a fist,” another person said.
The old woman became thoughtful, as if recalling something, and said, “Could it be the legendary Zhu Yan?”
According to legend, this fierce beast’s birth would be followed by great turmoil, with widespread wars and disasters, signaling great calamity.
Everyone was dazed, realizing they had encountered such an unusual creature, and they all felt they had misjudged.
The leader, the young woman in white, chuckled, her long black hair fluttering in the wind, her fair skin sparkling with a mesmerizing sheen. Her eyes twinkled as she said, “This child is remarkable. Let’s just consider this a fortunate encounter.”
“I hope he can enter the Supplementing Heaven Pavilion and that no one else takes him away.”
In the distant mountains, Little Stone rode the unicorn, racing through the wilderness. The unicorn turned into a silver streak, crossing mountains and ridges at top speed, making the forests on either side retreat rapidly. They soon were hundreds of miles away.
The once-dull little ball of fur had fully revived, its gray-white fur gleaming as it turned golden. Its once-dull eyes now sparkled, and it bounced around playfully on Little Stone’s shoulder.
Little Stone grabbed its tail and lifted it up, saying, “No more running around or causing trouble. You’re to stay by my side.”
Having been away from Stone Village for twenty-one days, Little Stone had covered most of the long journey. He was now less than a hundred thousand miles from the Stone Clan’s second ancestral land, and would reach it in a few more days.
In the following days, Little Stone forged ahead through the wilderness, battling numerous powerful beasts and enduring countless bloody fights. He was nearing the borders of the Stone Kingdom.
For a child to traverse endless mountain ranges, battle many fierce birds and beasts, and travel three hundred thousand miles within a month was an extraordinary achievement. If known, it would surely cause a sensation, shocking even the most deeply-rooted ancient families.
Even the strongest ancient beasts like Bi’an and Pixiu, when training their cubs, didn’t subject them to such dangers. Such perilous trials sounded easy but were actually life-threatening.
Ordinary children, let alone traveling three hundred thousand miles alone, could be in danger even at three hundred or three thousand miles, potentially being devoured by fierce beasts.
The western frontier was filled with countless fierce beasts and dense ancient forests, with no signs of human habitation. It was a truly terrifying primal land.
Even a group of seasoned adults traveling together would find it difficult to cross, as they could be suddenly attacked and eaten by ancient species, leaving no trace behind.
Little Stone, with his sharp senses, avoided numerous terrifying crises along the way, facing many life-threatening trials. Although he sustained serious injuries several times, he managed to press on.
At just over seven years old, he had accomplished such a feat.
If people knew, it would be explosive news, causing a huge uproar and spreading far and wide. If major powers like the Deer Hunting Academy learned of it, they would definitely send experts to seek him out and recruit him into their ranks.
Finally, he saw a settlement and rode his unicorn out of the wilderness.
He inquired about the directions and was surprised to find that although he was generally on the right track, he had deviated by over twenty thousand miles.
“Hm, I followed the path given by the Willow Deity, but there was still a deviation, likely because I took a wrong turn after falling into that black river,” Little Stone scratched his head and then set off again.
Having exited the endless mountains, there were fewer fierce beasts, making it relatively safer. Two days later, he arrived near a major town on the edge of the Stone Kingdom.
The ancient country was truly vast, commanding millions of miles of territory. Even within a single powerful lord’s domain, there were hundreds of millions, even billions of people, and the land was boundless.
Such a vast domain was naturally difficult to manage in detail, so central giant cities were built in various regions to impose control. In the event of a rebellion or similar crisis, experts stationed in these giant cities would quickly intervene with overwhelming force.
In fact, the Stone Kingdom was prosperous and had not reached an era requiring such suppression. Especially in recent centuries, with the Emperor's divine power reaching the heavens and the nation's strength ever-growing, no one dared to rebel.
Only in the frontier regions might there be some instability due to occasional attacks by other tribes and raids on human settlements. However, such small-scale conflicts were nothing to the vast ancient country.
Chongyun Town could also be called a city, with a population of eighty thousand. Its strategic location made it a crucial stronghold in the western part, positioned as a critical pass under the central giant city of the region.
In recent decades, other tribes' powerful figures had occasionally attacked, but none had ever succeeded in making significant breaches here.
On the road, Little Stone encountered various people, mostly traders traveling between the primal forests and distant tribes to purchase animal skins, medicinal herbs, and the like. Although the trips were dangerous, the profits were substantial.
“Hmm, we should return early. I heard things are unsettled recently. The Wood Tribe in the wilderness has been planning to mobilize forces. Also, it’s rumored that an ancient species has recently appeared deep in these mountains. They’re likely to make a show of force to intimidate the region and may cause some trouble in Chongyun Town.”
Little Stone listened carefully. Despite being so conspicuous on his own and riding a unicorn, no one made things difficult for him on the road. A child covered in blood daring to travel alone must be extraordinary. In fact, these people frequently ventured into primal forests and were well-acquainted with such sights, so they presumed this was likely a young member of a prominent family out on a training expedition.
“Oh no, it seems like a small beast tide is approaching. Could it be that the ancient species is launching an early attack to establish dominance here?”
“It shouldn’t be. It’s probably just an ordinary beast king. The number of beasts isn’t that great. We should hurry and escape.”
As they approached Chongyun Town, they could already see the massive city walls ahead, towering like a mountain range. The walls were made of “Diamond Rock,” a type of giant stone, completely black, and emitting a metallic sheen that was intimidating.
In front of the city, there was a group of fierce birds and beasts, forming a dense, dark mass. They weren’t bypassing the city but seemed intent on establishing their dominance by roaring and shaking the heavens, seemingly preparing to attack the city, which was terrifying.
“Quickly hide! I hope the Spirit Guardian can slay all these fierce spirits cleanly.”
The group quickly fled towards the distance, not daring to enter the city at this moment, fearing that the beast horde might target them and bring disaster.
Within the city, near the city gate, there was a mound of earth with a plant growing on it. It was about four to five zhang (13-16 feet) tall and clearly visible from outside the city. The plant was dark green, with enormous leaves shaped like fans.
This was the Spirit Guardian of Chongyun Town, a plant whose name even the townsfolk couldn’t precisely identify, referred to as either the Spirit Guardian or Lord Chongyun.
It emitted a pleasant fragrance and among its large, dark green leaves, there were three unusual flowers. Each flower was as large as a grinding disc, with petals glowing in various hues: one with red light swirling around it, one pure white like jade, and one shrouded in purple mist.
The beast horde clearly saw the people outside the city and immediately sent a portion of them charging over with roars, arriving at high speed.
“Spirit Guardian, save us!” the group shouted.
Little Stone prepared for battle. At this moment, a flash of red light appeared. The plant on the mound in the city released a flower with red light shimmering, the petals opening to emit a tremendous wave of energy.
“Whoosh!”
A beam of red light shot out, then spiraled and struck the area. The dozens of fierce birds and beasts charging in were thrown into disarray, roaring continuously, and blood was splattered as the beasts suffered heavy losses.
Little Stone’s eyes widened in amazement as he discovered that this so-called red light was actually a flying sword, entirely red and as clear as fire jade.
“A flower contains a flying sword?”
In a short time, all the fierce beasts and strange birds lay in pools of blood, either decapitated or severed, displaying a brutal force.
“This is far superior to the divine beasts in Bei Village. Even Auntie Qinglin Eagle, before consuming the Suan Ni blood, would be no match,” Little Stone whispered. The red light was so swift that it had vanquished these fierce creatures in moments.
The radiant red sword flew back into the city.
The traders who collected animal skins and medicinal herbs turned pale, and after regaining their composure, they bowed towards Chongyun Town in gratitude for the great favor.
“Ah, so it was the flower’s stamen that looked exactly like the flying sword,” Little Stone marveled. The flying sword was just a stamen, shaped like a sword, and after flying back, it inserted itself among the petals, emitting dazzling light before the flower closed again.
“Lord Chongyun has protected this place for hundreds of years. From a small town with fewer than a thousand people, it has grown to a city with over eighty thousand inhabitants. His contributions are undeniable.”
“If we speak of strength, Lord Chongyun is capable of guarding a giant city. His power is on par with, if not stronger than, the spirits of giant cities, but he has always been unwilling to leave.”
People discussed animatedly, and Little Stone was amazed to find out how powerful this plant truly was.
“This Spirit Guardian is extraordinary,” a slightly plump middle-aged man muttered to himself in the city. He had a fair face with no beard, and his eyes sparkled with energy.
“It is indeed strong, and such a Spirit Guardian is rare. Perhaps if an adult were to come forward and invite it, it might join our Rain Tribe,” a young man next to him suggested.
The slightly plump middle-aged man shook his head and said, “Forget it. It’s not appropriate to spread this news. We should focus on the important matters. I wonder if Miss Xia Youyu has returned. I’m here to seek that last talisman.”
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