Chapter 79: The Bandits

On this land, there is a legend that a supreme being once left a legacy here, buried in an ancient cave, which recorded his teachings.

Throughout the ages, countless people have searched in vain, but one day, a thunderbolt descended from the heavens, shattering a mountain range and revealing a corner of the cave.

“We are both fortunate and unfortunate,” said the village chief, Shi Yunfeng, with a gaze filled with sadness and weariness. His good brothers had all perished, leaving him as the sole survivor, carrying endless pain in his heart.

“We joined a sect and practiced bone techniques together. As a youth from a village, my aptitude was considered quite good, having reached the Cave Heaven Realm. When the thunderbolts descended from the heavens, I happened to be with some brothers on an expedition and came across that cave.”

And thus began the disaster. They unearthed numerous bone books but could not unlock the true entrance of the cave, unable to access the core area.

The news leaked, and they were relentlessly pursued by various forces trying to seize the bone books.

“They did not know that, although this batch of bone books was valuable, it was not the true legacy of the cave. We were chased all the way to the depths of the Great Wilderness, with no way to the heavens and no gate to the earth.”

Shi Yunfeng spoke mournfully. One by one, his good brothers perished, and despite enduring numerous hardships, only he and one other escaped and survived.

When they later went to search for the ruins, they found that time had “revolved and stars had shifted,” as if ten thousand years had passed, and everything was gone.

“It must have been the mysterious power of the bones that caused the divine treasure to sink into the earth and drift far away, unknown to anyone,” the chief sighed.

Despite this, they continued to face endless pursuit. A group of formidable bandits appeared, accompanied by sacrificial spirits, leading to a prolonged and arduous escape.

“Many things happened later, and it was only many years before we finally escaped, injured and returning to Shicun.”

In the end, only he survived, while the other person died not long after returning to the village.

The chief did not elaborate on the past, but there were undoubtedly many hidden details and stories. Surviving the pursuit for so many years was no small feat.

Unfortunately for Shi Yunfeng, his extraordinary aptitude was interrupted by his injuries, and he suffered severe setbacks. Since then, his cultivation made no progress, and his physical condition deteriorated.

“We encountered a misty haze in front of that cave, which injured our bodies. Later, the pursuit worsened the strange injuries, which is why we have not been able to easily use the secret power of the bones all these years.”

Shi Yunfeng spoke simply, but one could imagine the many dangers faced back then. He briefly mentioned it without much detail, leaving much unsaid.

“The most powerful force at the time had dozens of bandit factions responsible for exploring that supreme treasure land. I feel that they have resurfaced now and have never given up searching.”

Everyone was astonished. This was the first time the chief had openly shared his thoughts and revealed secrets of the past. Though it was brief and lacked details, it conveyed the tension and fear of those times.

With multiple major forces involved, the turmoil of the past must have been immense.

“I believe that the supreme land should still be in this area. Even if it has sunk into the earth and drifted away, it should not be too far.”

The land, once bloodied by four great beings, now lay barren and lifeless. Searching within would be extremely difficult.

However, with the bandits reappearing, it meant they might have made new discoveries, and this place would no longer be peaceful.

“Prepare for the worst,” Shi Yunfeng ordered. With the Liu God in slumber, they could only rely on themselves if the bandits found them.

“It’s a pity that Aunt Qinglin, along with Ziyun, Dapeng, and Xiaoqing, went out for training and cultivation. We don’t know where they are. Otherwise, they would have been a formidable force,” Xiao Budian lamented.

The situation was even more urgent than they had anticipated. A few days later, Pimonkey, Tiger, and the others returned with bad news. They had ridden unicorns to investigate and found another village, six hundred miles away, completely bloodied.

“We found one survivor, but he lived only half an hour before dying.”

“He said those people only sought primitive bone relics and rare metals and did not inquire about the Earth Mountain or other matters.”

The children reported. The chief frowned upon hearing this and muttered, “Could it be a mistake? Perhaps it isn’t the same bandits from back then, but those people also plundered black gold.”

Half a month later, dust rose on the horizon as a group of people riding fierce beasts appeared, speeding towards Shicun.

“This is bad. Prepare for battle,”

The villagers were anxious. Shi Linhu, Shi Feijiao, and others all held dragon horn bows, aiming into the distance, standing at the village’s edge, prepared to defend it to the death.

These people exuded a heavy aura of menace, their eyes gleaming with ferocity. They clearly were not benevolent, advancing towards the village’s edge.

“You country bumpkins, do you dare resist? One charge from us will bury you all,” a scar-faced man on a fierce beast said coldly, completely disregarding the villagers with shocking hostility.

The group wasn’t large, only a little over a hundred, but they were seasoned warriors, especially the leaders, who possessed powerful bone secrets.

“Boom,” “Boom”

At the same time, terrifying noises came from behind them. The earth shook, and a gigantic creature appeared.

It was a pangolin, its body a pale gold, enormous, several dozen meters long, lying like a golden mountain of flesh. Its eyes, like golden lanterns, gazed at Shicun with a heavy murderous intent.

Seeing this fierce beast, everyone’s hearts sank. This was a sacrificial spirit, beyond the capability of ordinary people to resist.

Typically, sacrificial spirits protect human settlements, residing in villages or towns and accepting human offerings. They do not leave easily, but this one was on the move.

Especially with this sacrificial spirit’s intense hostility and faint blood-red light on its pale golden scales, it had undoubtedly engaged in endless slaughter and devoured other sacrificial spirits, making it extremely formidable.

Shi Linhu, Shi Feijiao, and others felt a sense of helplessness. Upon seeing it, they knew they could not deal with this several dozen meters long sacrificial spirit. Even if the entire village fought together, it would be in vain.

The oppressive bloodthirst, overwhelming aura, and terrifying symbols evoked awe and a sense of defeat.

“Do you feel your own weakness? Just a bunch of pests, yet you dare to challenge the true adversary?” a leader on a fierce beast sneered.

“Put down your pathetic bows and arrows; they are useless. Follow our orders, and we may spare your lives,” another person said coldly.

“What do you want?” an elderly village elder asked, trembling as he stepped forward.

“Old fool, just follow the orders. No need for more talk,” one of the leaders scolded, then raised his hand and lashed with a whip, a symbol flashing, sending the elder flying and splattering blood.

“Third Uncle!”

A group of villagers rushed forward to pick up the elder. The children’s eyes were filled with tears, and the adult men’s eyes turned red, preparing to fight desperately.

“Stop!” The chief’s stern command prevented them from acting immediately.

"Don't worry, old man won't die; it's just a lesson for you," the attacker laughed heartily and said, "We're not unreasonable and don't want to start a slaughter. As long as you meet our demands, we will ensure your safety."

The villagers glared in anger, remaining silent.

"You have twenty days to deliver five hundred pounds of black gold. If you have enough on hand, consider yourselves lucky. If not, find a source quickly; otherwise, when the time comes, if you can’t deliver, we will kill without mercy," the man said coldly.

“Did you hear that? If you can’t manage it, twenty days from now, we will bloodily wipe out your village. By then, we will leave no survivors,” another leader shouted loudly.

At the same time, the pale-golden sacrificial spirit also raised its head and roared, shaking the mountains and valleys. Golden mist swirled around its massive body, dazzling and eerie, instilling fear.

The villagers did not move, their expressions grim. The disparity was clear; they were truly unable to resist and were no match for these bandits.

A group of children had tense faces, shocked, scared, and angry. They had never encountered such a situation, being so blatantly bullied at their doorstep with no means of resistance.

With the Liu God in slumber, like an ordinary dead tree, the villagers lost their protection, feeling a mix of frustration and discomfort, itching to fight back.

Some children’s eyes were red with tears, almost ready to fall. The enemy was so powerful, coming to their very doorstep, and they felt helpless.

"A bunch of country bumpkins daring to resist with bows and arrows, are you courting death? Do you know that in this area alone, we have destroyed eight or nine similar villages?" one person sneered, scanning the village’s edge.

Shi Feijiao and others were furious, but Chief Shi Yunfeng ordered them not to act recklessly. Everyone clenched their fists, feeling an unbearable distress, having never been subjected to such humiliation.

"Remember, you only have twenty days. Otherwise, prepare for your clan's extinction," a leader shouted, then whipped the air forcefully.

With a flash of symbols, Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao had blood stripes appear on their faces with a “snap,” their skin torn, blood spattering, and the wounds deep.

A group of strong men felt their eyes burning with rage. They would rather die than endure such disgrace. If left to their own devices, they would immediately fight to the death.

But the chief still held them back, stopping them with a stern gaze.

“Haha,” several leaders laughed, then turned their fierce beasts around and left.

The pale-golden sacrificial spirit turned, its lantern-sized golden eyes coldly sweeping over the villagers, then it stomped away, shaking the ground with a thunderous roar, incredibly terrifying.

The fierce beasts roared, and the group disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Why didn’t you let us fight back, Chief?" Shi Linhu's eyes were red, his face burning with pain, but the emotional pain was even greater. He had never faced such humiliation.

"Chief, I won't accept this," Shi Feijiao also could not bear it, wiping the blood from his face, his hair standing on end, eyes red.

"Yes, Chief, we can use the ancestral artifact; at worst, we can go down fighting together," called out the father of the two strong men.

Shi Yunfeng sighed and said, "In that case, it will only be a death sentence. The net will not be broken."

"That’s still better than this current humiliation," many were extremely frustrated.

“If we start a major conflict, we will all end up dead because no one truly masters advanced bone techniques to wield the power of the ancestral artifact effectively,” the old chief’s eyes grew firm, and he raised his voice: “Do you think I fear death or am willing to endure it? Our strength is simply insufficient.”

"Even so, what will happen after twenty days?" someone protested.

"Twenty days is enough for me to prepare. By then, I will take the ancestral artifact and truly fight them to the death," the chief said.

"Chief, your injuries are serious and peculiar. You cannot use the bone’s power; it’s too risky," the crowd grew anxious.

“That group and that sacrificial spirit are too powerful. No matter how many of you go, you will all die. Once I am prepared, I might still have a chance to fight them,” Shi Yunfeng said.

“Chief, you can’t!” A group of strong men almost cried, realizing that the chief was desperately holding them back to prevent their deaths while preparing to risk his own life.

"Grandpa Chief," a group of children cried with tears.

"Grandpa Chief, leave it to me. I will deal with them," at this moment, Xiao Budian spoke up, with a determined light in his eyes.

“No, the Cave Heaven Realm has a vast difference between levels. Even if you break through, you won’t be able to contend with them in a short time, especially with that sacrificial spirit,” the old chief firmly opposed.

“I intended to break through and fight them. But since the bandits gave us twenty days, I believe it will be enough for me to reach the desired realm level and handle them,” Xiao Budian said seriously and firmly.