The earth collapsed, and the huge beast sank over a thousand feet into the strata, but its rising back was still higher than the ground.
It had only temporarily lost its ability to move.
The tribespeople of the Bear Hug Clan watched with their own eyes as their Young Master descended from the sky, slamming the ferocious creature into the earth; they also witnessed the Young Master unfold his ice-blue wings, gliding through the cloud-enveloped heavens.
But what they couldn't see was Wu Wang's nearly exhausted and awkward appearance as he landed in front of Lin Suqing...
The helmet, crafted from the upper jaw of a juvenile beast, slipped off, revealing Wu Wang's bloodless, youthful face.
"Grandma?"
His lips moved as he called out, naturally receiving no response.
The old woman sat quietly, as if in deep slumber.
Beside him, Lin Suqing's eyes reddened slightly. "The Chief Priest has a message for you," she said hurriedly.
Wu Wang looked up, his eyes somewhat vacant.
Lin Suqing's lips trembled, and she nearly burst into tears. "Young Master..."
"What did Grandma say?" Wu Wang's voice was also trembling slightly.
"She said you did great, because your clanspeople won't starve to death. And don't blame the other Priests; their constant prayers made it impossible for them to entertain thoughts of rebelling against the Star God."
"Also, it's good that there are no gods in the Human Domain. The heavens and earth of the Northern Wilderness are too narrow, not enough for you to fly."
Lin Suqing secretly pinched herself, trying hard to recall, then whispered, "That's about what she said."
Wu Wang nodded and then fell silent, kneeling quietly.
The wind of the Northern Wilderness blew gently, carrying the oppressive heat from the ferocious beast. Tremors came from the earth as the creature tried to break free.
Taking a deep breath, Wu Wang bowed his head three times, then silently picked up his helmet and put it on.
"Suqing, help me take her to meet up with the clanspeople and tell them exactly what Grandma did just now."
Lin Suqing hurriedly asked, "Where are you going, Young Master?"
Wu Wang looked up at the sky and breathed out softly. "I am the Young Master. I have enjoyed many privileges in ordinary times; now it's time to assume as many responsibilities."
"Is it really a blessing from the Star God? Is that ferocious beast a blessing? Why would the gods of the Northern Wilderness..." Lin Suqing asked, full of confusion. "Aren't living beings and ferocious beasts enemies? If such a creature appeared in the Human Domain, all the hidden Immortals would stand up!"
"Don't ask too much. Just watch. The Northern Wilderness is the Northern Wilderness, and the Human Domain is the Human Domain."
Wu Wang turned around and looked up at the azure sky, still streaked with spiraling air currents.
He took a porcelain vial from his waist and swallowed an Elixir of Nourishing Spirit that Lin Suqing had traded for at the market. His complexion gained a bit of color, and he drew a simple symbol in the air with his hand.
Ice crystals materialized out of nowhere, assembling into slightly smaller ice wings behind him.
"After the clanspeople have settled down, notify General Xiong San to gather all the Priests."
His ice wings flashed, and Wu Wang shot up into the sky, swiftly flying toward the north where the clanspeople's retreat was more chaotic.
Once away from the huge beast, the giant wolves had also regained their mobility. Their riders dashed back and forth, transporting people and goods.
Because the huge beast was temporarily trapped by the earth and unable to move, General Xiong San organized a large group of giant wolf riders to return to the Royal Court, attempting to salvage valuable possessions from the great fire and retrieve food and water containers that had not been burned.
Fortunately, Wu Wang had earlier designed the granaries of the Royal Court such that two subsidiary granaries were located hundreds of miles away.
Flying over the plains, he could see the tragic bodies in the great fire and hear the distant cries of children.
Along the horizon, straight plumes of wolf smoke were visible. The entire territory of the Bear Hug Clan resounded with the sound of bugles, one after another.
Wu Wang had even seen from a distance the first wave of reinforcements arriving at the Royal Court.
But more people were of no use. To contend with such a beast, ordinary strong men and low-ranking Priests had little to offer.
Most clan members remained calm, supporting and looking after each other as they converged towards two evacuation points in the south and north. When Wu Wang flew overhead, their dim eyes would sparkle with a hint of spirit.
The fierce beast was trapped in the ground and, for the time being, incapable of turning over, giving the people enough time to leave the danger zone.
The matters that followed could be handed over to General Xiong San and his men. Father should also be on his way back.
After patrolling around and observing the condition of the huge beast for a while, Wu Wang did not reach the southern refuge until the Stars filled the sky. He landed in the center of the connected tents.
He almost stumbled and barely managed to stay upright, supported by a large hand that reached out to him.
"Young Master!"
"Young Master."
In the glow of the torches, several men and women emerged from the shadows. The person who steadied Wu Wang was an old general from the clan.
Of course, this was an old man.
Wu Wang waved his hand and pulled away from the old general's support. His gaze fell on the wooden frames erected between the tents and the grass-mat-covered bodies on them…
The echoes of "Young Master" seemed to linger in his ears.
"How much longer before Father arrives?"
"Based on the distance indicated by the signal smoke, the Clan Leader should be back by dawn."
"Hmm," Wu Wang sighed with relief. He lowered his head and walked into the large tent before him, where he saw his grandmother surrounded by clusters of fresh flowers. Her face was still peaceful, as if asleep, with several Priests kneeling and quietly praying beside her.
"Everyone out."
The old Priests looked worriedly at Wu Wang.
"Out."
Wu Wang's face was somewhat somber, his tone carrying a trace of indifference. The Priests rose, bowed, and left the tent with their heads down.
Lin Suqing quickly found her way there, waiting at the entrance to the tent.
Wu Wang took a deep breath and sat next to his grandmother's body, keeping vigil by the elder who appeared to be sleeping. He aligned his mind and body, cultivating his energy through cycles of meditative breathing.
His pale complexion quickly regained its color, the pain that seemed to split his forehead rapidly subsided, and his thoughts gradually became more active.
A blessing? Is this what a blessing is?
Wu Wang believed that from the day he was born into this world, he had been well-behaved and diligent. He strove to be a good Young Master of a clan and constantly reminded himself of four words: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
He did not spread any ideologies, did not engage in creating "gunpowder," and had not taken any actions that challenged the current order of the Northern Wilderness.
Even though his strange illness was most likely related to the Praying Star Technique, he had never once blamed the Star God, only sought to find a solution.
And this is the result! Peaceful home torn apart, innocent people dying brutally, and then having to kneel and express gratitude for the blessings bestowed by the Star God? Go to hell.
The Bear Hug Clan had not waged an external war for fifty years, quietly developing within their own territory. The clan members simply wished for a prosperous and peaceful life, without much concept of territory.
The "blessing" they received from the Star God resulted in heavy casualties among the people, and Grandmother had exhausted herself to death trying to stop the beast.
Yes, Grandmother was already near the end of her life, but her living even one day less was a blood feud that could not be shared under the same sky! Calm down. I am the Young Master, the clan's steward until Father returns. I absolutely cannot lose my composure now. Complaints and curses solve nothing. I must first ascertain who the enemy is.
He stopped the cyclic meditation, concealed his magical power, and took off the necklace hanging around his neck. He quickly tapped the central gemstone; the necklace emitted a faint light, hovering in front of him.
Starlight guides, returning to the place of eternity.
"Mother?"
Wu Wang called out softly. He immediately felt his mother's presence, which materialized into a gentle hand, leading and guiding him.
His consciousness seemed to sink into a bog and then rapidly pierced through it.
When he opened his eyes, he was facing the Temple he had seen before, with endless Stars beneath his feet.
Inside the Temple, seven figures stood silently. His mother was in the center, with the other six Sun Ritual Priests forming a circle around her, facing her.
Suddenly, one of the Sun Ritual Priests turned and rebuked, "Who dares to intrude upon the Holy Temple!"
The surrounding starlight flickered. The Temple in front of him rapidly shrank into a speck of light, then disappeared.
Wu Wang's body trembled a few times. When he looked up, he was back in his tent. He caught the falling necklace and sat there in contemplation.
The necklace in his hand was slightly warm, and his mother's voice rang out in his heart:
'Ba'er, are you hurt?'
Wu Wang felt an inexplicable tingling at the tip of his nose.
'Mother, I'm fine. It's just Grandmother... What exactly does the Star God's blessing mean?'
'...'
'Mother, are you still there?'
'I have already seen the star that represents Mother extinguishing its light.'
There was a slight fluctuation in Cang Xue's calm tone as she gently said, 'This matter is rather complicated to explain, and it is not much related to the other Sun Ritual Priests. If the blessing had happened to the Big Wave Tribe today, Mother would have trapped the Sun Ritual Priest born from the Big Wave Tribe, just like they did. That's the rule of the Northern Wilderness.'
'I must understand all of this.' Wu Wang responded in his heart, his tone quite adamant. 'It's very important—to me, to our clan, and even to the Northern Wilderness. Without sufficient information, I might make the wrong decisions.'
However, Cang Xue fell silent for a long time, as if weighing her words.
'Ba'er, when you were little, you always asked me if I'd really seen the Star God. Now I can answer you.'
A series of images formed in Wu Wang's mind.
In the profound expanse of the starry sky, a majestic figure floated silently, its actual size unfathomable. She had an upper body similar to that of the Human race, with the wings of a dark eagle on her back, and her lower body was a long serpentine tail. The golden Battle Armor she was wrapped in was full of cracks, and her chest bore an abyss-like hole.
Her flowing hair was suffused with starlight. At the ends of her locks, fearsome beasts were wrapped within a thin membrane of starlight.
Upon closer look, her face was majestic, serene, almost perfect, yet like an ancient statue, without a trace of life.
She held her right hand against the edge of the hole in her chest, her left hand held up with a disc on her palm that was gently spinning. Each time the disc trembled and emitted red light, the beasts enveloped in the membranes at the ends of the Goddess's hair would open their eyes.
At that moment, three figures would fly out from within the Temple, kneeling in the starry space to pray to the disc. Below the disc, three chains of Liu Guang extended, binding those three figures.
Almost at the same time, in the head region of the Goddess, a beast would break free from the confinement of the locks, carrying the membrane and slowly entering the disc, transforming into a stream of Liu Guang heading deep into the starry expanse.
Wu Wang couldn't help but frown deeply, continuously focusing on these images.
That disc is the key? The red light flickered—was it triggered by some condition? The chains that stretched from it bound the Sun Ritual Priests who came to pray. Was it extracting their memories, judging which clan needed 'balance,' determining where the beasts would land? This...
His mother's voice echoed in Wu Wang's heart again, with a hint of helplessness:
'This is the process of bestowing blessings, as well as the secret guarded by generations of Sun Ritual Priests. Mother telling you this is already disrespectful to the Star God.'
'Do not harbor any thoughts of opposing the will of the Star God, for that would bring true calamity to the clan.'
Wu Wang clenched his fists subconsciously. He fell silent for a while and then asked, 'Is the Star God... still alive?'
His mother's voice carried a slight tremor as she patiently explained, 'The Star God has long fallen into slumber, quietly waiting for the moment to awaken. The wars of the ancient gods injured her too severely.'
'The Star God was the victor, and the Northern Wilderness is her prize. Gods from the other eight wildernesses may not invade.'
'Fearing that during her slumber, strong creatures or powers might emerge in the Northern Wilderness, the Star God created the Praying Star Technique and three constraints.'
'After cultivating the Praying Star Technique, one cannot cultivate any other powers. This is a prohibition of the Praying Star Technique.'
'The first constraint is the Council of the Seven Sun Rituals.'
'The second constraint is that any being born in the Northern Wilderness that poses a threat to the Star God will be met with calamity from the disc and eliminated preemptively.'
'The third constraint is the Star God's blessing, targeted toward clans and tribes.'
'When the Star God's disc detects a clan with the potential to unify the Northern Wilderness, it will bestow a blessing upon that clan, summoning a fierce beast formed from the Star God's hair, maintaining the situation of multiple clans in the Northern Wilderness.'
'Child, we are truly insignificant compared to the Star God...'
Accompanied by a light sigh, Cang Xue ceased speaking.
Wu Wang sat in a daze for a moment, then asked in his heart, 'Is the main effect of the Star God's disc to prevent any clan from unifying the Northern Wilderness?'
'Exactly.'
'Then if the overall strength of the Northern Wilderness increases while maintaining the status of multiple dispersed clans, would it trigger the disc's prohibition?'
Cang Xue fell silent for a moment, then said, 'Looking far into the ages, the overall strength of the Northern Wilderness has naturally been growing. This should not violate the Star God's constraints.'
Then...
Wu Wang seized the necklace in his hand and immediately stood up, his eyes shining with a faint light.
"Come forth!"
Lin Suqing was the first to dart in, followed by a throng of white-haired elders, almost collapsing the tent.
"General Xiong Kun, please personally make the trip. Ride a Flying Bat to find my father and report to him. If my father agrees, then immediately dispatch the Flying Bat Riders. Bring our giant crossbows and go to the Big Wave Tribe, the Kua Fu Clan, the North Lion Tribe, the Strong Armor Tribe, the Rong Dog Tribe, and the Deep Eye Tribe. Remember, only visit these six leading clans that have a contemporary Sun Ritual Priest in their midst! Offer five thousand giant crossbows and sixty thousand bolts, plus the purchase order for another thirty thousand giant crossbows and three hundred thousand bolts, in exchange for their Clan Leaders and their ten strongest experts to come assist in battle! To the first three clans that arrive, I will gift them the design schematics for wooden light crossbows and a batch of livestock cubs for breeding! Of course, all this has to have my father's agreement."
An old general immediately took the order, made his way through the crowd, and ran towards the edge of the camp.
An elder hastily said, "Young Master, the giant crossbows are precious weapons of the clan... to give them away to other clans like this..."
"We're not giving them away; we're selling them," Wu Wang stated firmly. "What matters is the metallurgy technology. Rest assured, I have it all figured out."
The enemy lies in the Stars. The Star God and the constraints she left behind killed my grandmother and many clansmen.
"General Xiong San, immediately summon all Priests! I have something to tell them. Also, send someone to dig up the things I had you bury before! We cannot allow the afflicted clanspeople to die in vain, nor can their deaths be meaningless. Since this fierce beast is a 'blessing' from the Star God..." Wu Wang paused, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Then this 'blessing'… I will gladly accept!"