The willow tree's branches were scorched black, with a dozen green, glistening new shoots fluttering amidst the brilliant glow of the sunset, forming a striking contrast with the trunk. The scene was vibrant, peaceful, and sacred.
The little one opened the Universe Bag and pulled out six large beast skin bags, each glowing brilliantly when opened, as if a golden ocean had appeared, rumbling loudly.
The scene of the divine pool deep in the Hundred Herbs Garden reappeared. The golden waves engulfed the place; though there was no water, the roaring sound and the divine liquid's brilliance were clearly visible.
The villagers gasped in astonishment. It was truly shocking. Just moments ago, there had been only one bag, and now there was a whole pile, with the golden waves swirling up into the sky.
"Willow God, this is something I brought from the Hundred Broken Mountain for you. I thought it might be useful," said the little one.
Without needing further explanation, it was clear that this was divine soil for vegetation. A scoop of golden mud could sustain a spiritual herb, so such a large pile was incredibly impressive.
"Ow!" A small stone beast howled from the little one's hair and then fell down, diving towards the pile of golden mud and shouting, "Mine!"
"Bang!"
The little one, quick on the uptake, grabbed it and said, "You've already eaten half of it in the Hundred Herbs Garden. This is for the Willow God. No stealing."
The Divine Stone wriggled free, rolling on the ground and howling, "I just want to eat it. I still want more. You've already emptied the divine pool."
The onlookers were stunned. A talking stone?
"The Hundred Broken Mountain and the Eternal Divine Spring indeed possess immortality. However, this mud isn't very useful to me," said the Willow God.
"What? You don’t want it? Then it’s all mine," the Divine Stone pounced but didn't dare to act recklessly. It only lay on top of the pile, showing its deep respect and trembling in awe before the ancient tree.
"Does the Willow God really not need it?" The little one scratched his head and, picking up the Divine Stone, tossed it back into the Universe Bag.
"A little is enough. I want to see the essence of the Eternal Spring," said the Willow God, extending a twig into the golden mud. The golden divine light absorbed into the twig, and soon a small portion of the mud lost its luster, and the twig withdrew.
The little one was amazed. The Willow God had revived. With more branches, it had become even more powerful and no longer needed the divine soil for nourishment.
"Willow God, I also have five drops of True Taiyi Water. Do you need it?" He felt he couldn’t face the Willow God without offering a genuine gift, considering how much the Willow God had given him, guiding him through extreme realms and exerting great effort to take him to the Void Divine Realm.
He took out a small jade jar containing five tiny dragons formed from golden liquid, full of vitality.
The villagers were astonished. How many heavenly treasures had this child obtained? Without much thought, it was clear that this divine liquid, which took on the form of living beings, must be an unparalleled treasure.
"Just one drop is enough. It will more thoroughly decompose the essence of immortality," said the Willow God calmly, still showing no significant emotion.
A drop of golden liquid flew up, and the tiny dragons transformed into golden mist, with dazzling brilliance and auspicious light. The entire drop was absorbed into a tender branch, dyeing one of its leaves gold.
"How marvelous!" The crowd was amazed.
"Very good. This Eternal Spring is remarkable for the path of immortality," the Willow God sighed.
The little one knew that the Willow God had truly become powerful, far surpassing the past. When it was weak, anything with spirituality was useful, but now, it no longer needed much, relying on itself to seize the essence of heaven and earth.
"Willow God, I also have a divine treasure."
This time, the little one carefully took out a jade vessel containing True Taiyi Water, opening the Universe Bag with utmost caution to avoid any spillage.
The True Water glowed and kept rising as if trying to escape. If not for the gentle light emanating from the Universe Bag, it would have indeed fled.
"This is True Taiyi Water. It is extremely useful for refining sacred medicines or treasures. It can be used as a catalyst and is incredibly valuable," said the Willow God.
Receiving such an evaluation showed the True Taiyi Water’s preciousness.
"What? This is True Taiyi Water?" Elder Stone Yunfeng was astonished.
"Grandpa Chief, I brought back several pounds, enough to use. I’ll give it to you later," said the little one.
"Can this be measured in pounds?" Elder Yunfeng was bewildered. Only a small amount was needed to refine higher-quality medicinal herbs.
The villagers, upon learning from the chief about the rarity of this water, were also dumbfounded.
"Willow God, this is edible. I’ve eaten several pounds," said the little one, intending to offer it to the Willow Tree.
"This is edible?" The chief was surprised.
"You’ve eaten it?" Even the Willow God was surprised and seemed intrigued.
"Yes, it tastes not great and is hard to digest, but it has incredibly strong divine energy," the little one nodded.
"Unbelievable," Er Tzu mumbled from behind. This kid could even digest True Taiyi Water. Was he still human? So ruthless.
"Very well, it seems you have made significant progress. Adjust your state recently and prepare for the baptism," said the Willow God.
"Okay," the little one was excited. He had not forgotten the Willow God’s words, to return before he was twelve.
Whether at five or ten, such a baptism had far-reaching effects and was of great importance.
The Willow God did not take the True Taiyi Water but instructed him to keep it himself. It then said it would contemplate the mysteries of immortality in the Eternal Spring and fell into silence.
"Little brat, have you emptied the divine realm? How did you get so many incredible things, one surpassing the other?"
Pikemon, Tiger Cub, Snotty Kid, and others swarmed him, pinning him down to hear about his experiences over the past two years, as these things were too astonishing.
"Grandpa Chief, this is the Eternal Spring. Keep these two drops safe."
After freeing himself, the little one stood up and split the remaining four drops of golden liquid, giving half to Elder Yunfeng and other elders. As they were getting older, these two drops could extend their lifespans.
"We all age naturally and leave peacefully without regrets. We shouldn’t waste such things," the elders shook their heads, considering it a waste if used.
But the little one insisted on giving it away.
"Let the village’s children have it," said the chief.
In the Stone Village, auras of fortune swirled. Every spiritual herb planted earlier was absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, sparkling and making the spiritual energy extremely dense, turning it into a land of treasures.
The little one told the villagers about his experiences over the past two years. Everyone was deeply absorbed, feeling it was thrilling. This was truly a child who had experienced so much in just two years.
"Ah, what a pity about the Supplementing Heaven Pavilion. Such an ancient great sect disappeared just like that. Even the most splendid heritage eventually decays. When the moon is full, it wanes; when the sun is at its zenith, it shifts. Prosperity leads to decline. This pattern is unchangeable," the chief sighed.
Qingfeng’s eyes were red. It had not been long since the battle ended. Recently, he often dreamt of his older brothers and sisters, but they had all perished in battle and could never be met again.
That warmth and happiness had become the past, only to be reminisced.
"Our Stone Village is no different. Once prosperous, now declining. It was the first ancestral land of the Stone Kingdom, but now what remains? Even the path of cultivation is nearly severed," an elder lamented.
The little one seemed to remember something and said, "Grandpa Chief, when we returned, we saw several stone mountains being reduced to dust or half-swept away. Could it be that enemies have come?"
At the mention of this, everyone’s expressions grew serious. Shi Linhu said, "A year ago, that band of outlaws appeared again, with their leader carrying powerful treasure. However, they were all killed by the Willow God."
The little one’s heart sank with relief. Fortunately, the Willow God was there; otherwise, the villagers would surely have been in a dire situation.
"They came for the Supreme Divine Cache and haven't given up after all these years. It seems they have made some progress and have been moving forward vigorously," the Chief said.
"Forget about it for now. With the Willow God here, they won’t be able to stir up any trouble. Besides, a year ago, none of them escaped; they were all killed, and no one knows about this place," Shi Feijiao said.
The sun was setting, and the red glow of the sunset dyed the sky. The village was bathed in a sacred light, as if it were an ancient temple, exuding a transcendent beauty.
In the distance, hoofbeats thundered, and pure white holy light flickered. A group of silver unicorns galloped in, some with village men riding on their backs, howling in excitement.
This was the hunting party returning.
Over the past two years, the unicorns had fully accepted the villagers and had become partners, no longer rejecting them.
"Ah, Little One!" The members of the hunting team, all quite young, rushed over, embracing him with excitement and warmth.
Among the unicorns, one was exceptionally large, galloping like a heavenly dragon and surrounded by silver flames, expressing immense joy around the little one.
"Xiao Bai, you've become a true fierce beast now, with the rune fully formed and very powerful. You've embarked on the path of evolution," the little one said happily.
"The unicorn has the bloodline of the ancient heavenly horse. If it evolves continuously and restores the power of its ancestors, it could one day traverse the sun and moon, becoming the supreme mount," Er Tzu said.
As the sun set, bonfires were lit, and all the villagers gathered by the lake to enjoy a grand feast.
“Auntie, this is the blood and flesh treasure I brought back. Don't yearn for that hairless monster bird anymore; it's not tasty,” the little one said, taking out the remnants of the ancient species, which were as large as a small mountain and radiated a brilliant glow.
“Heavens, these are ancient species! You really are impressive, kid. You’ve grown capable enough to hunt these,” said Auntie, astonished. Even Shi Linhu and the other robust men were dumbfounded.
The villagers were both shocked and delighted. These were ancient species, truly potent medicines. Just a bit of these would definitely give them hope for breakthroughs.
Most importantly, there were about thirty to forty heads, which was unbelievable and almost like a fairy tale.
“I said I’d bring gifts for everyone,” the little one scratched his head.
“Haha, this is truly the best gift. It will help us breakthrough and satisfy our appetite. It’s a delicacy,” the villagers rejoiced.
Such a pile of prey would last for many days. They were ancient species, with extremely strong medicinal properties, and couldn’t be easily digested like ordinary meat.
The thirty to forty heads included many hunted from the Hundred Broken Mountain, including the various talented individuals and natives who had attacked the little one, and some were from the final battle at the Supplementing Heaven Pavilion.
This was undoubtedly a grand feast. The little one personally selected, with the giant golden-winged roc as the top choice, combined with monkey head mushrooms in a stew. It was a fusion of exquisite flavor and potent medicine.
Golden light radiated from the black cauldrons, dazzling and splendid.
Although there were many villagers, they couldn’t eat as much as the giant red bird. Thus, only a large chunk of the golden-winged roc was cut off, with plenty remaining. Eating too much would also exceed their capacity to refine the essence.
“This is like a myth. We can actually eat the meat of the golden-winged roc!”
Additionally, bone soup made from the ancient white tiger was also included, as these were treasures.
The remaining ancient species were left for the villagers to choose and roast on the fire, all golden and glistening, with a tantalizing aroma.
Various berries picked by the villagers were also spread out on the grass, exuding a fresh fragrance, with enticingly red and golden hues.
“Grandpa Chief, Uncle, I brought better divine brew for you. Don’t drink the other wine today,” the little one said to Shi Feijiao and the others.
He took out an ancient tree, its trunk extremely thick, and opened a tree hollow to scoop out the wine, which was fragrant and nearly intoxicating from a distance.
“Heavens, could this be the legendary Monkey Wine?” The group of men’s eyes went wide.
Even those who weren’t cultivators had heard of the Monkey Wine’s legend due to its immense fame. It was brewed from various spiritual herbs and was one of the most precious wines, below only the sacred medicines.
“Uncle, don’t drink too much. It’s best to take only a small sip each time; otherwise, you’ll get drunk immediately,” the little one estimated that even the best drinker among the villagers would collapse after a couple of small sips.
“Hurry, little brat, pour the wine. We can’t wait,” the young men urged, including Pikemon and Snotty Kid, who also gathered around.
As a result, Er Tzu’s father, disbelieving, drank a full cup and immediately collapsed onto the grass, sleeping soundly, his body glowing, and fell into a deep slumber.
Clearly, the benefits were immense, with the divine wine adjusting his body and making every inch of his flesh glow. However, he didn’t get to enjoy the pleasure of drinking. Seeing this, everyone hesitated and took only small sips.
The moonlight was bright, the lake clear and shimmering, with the golden-winged roc stew’s divine light and various roasted ancient species adding to the scene. The Monkey Wine and the mingling aromas of meat and divine brew created a joyful atmosphere, making it truly intoxicating.
Soon, some people began to breakthrough, quickly sitting aside to meditate and adjust their breathing.
In fact, nearly everyone was glowing. The medicinal properties of the ancient species were so potent, and combined with a small amount of Monkey Wine, they were emitting auspicious light as they spoke.
“Snotty Kid, Tiger Cub, Er Tzu, don’t get drunk and forget to breakthrough. I still have some divine treasures here; be careful you don’t get a share if you overindulge.”
At this moment, the little one was genuinely innocent and not at all ruthless. He watched everyone happily, unguarded and carefree. His fierceness and subtle malice from outside disappeared.
“I feel like here, he truly seems like a child,” Er Tzu murmured from a distance.
Back in the Stone Village, the little one became that obedient and pure-hearted child again, laughing heartily and playfully with his friends, showing a simple and sincere side.
“It seems this place is very important to him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought back so many rare and precious items. I wonder what he will do if this village ceases to exist one day,” the Great Red Bird said, drunkenly.
Continue writing Chapter 3.
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