Two Days Later, Deep in the Great Wilderness
Lin Fan and Yue Chan pressed forward through the boundless wilderness, riding atop the five-colored luan bird. The vast landscape unfolded beneath them, a tapestry of rugged terrain and untamed beauty.
As they traveled, Lin Fan studied a map, marking their approximate location with care.
He recalled a legend: when the Mountain Treasure emerged, it had sparked a fierce battle among four mighty beings of the Lower Realm—Vermilion Bird, Mao Qiu, Qiong Qi, and Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow. Their clash had been cataclysmic, turning a hundred thousand li of land into a blood-soaked wasteland, devoid of life.
Yet, despite their progress, Lin Fan sensed no trace of such a battle. The wilderness remained eerily calm, with no lingering ripples of a Venerable's power.
"Where could it be… Did I miss it?" Lin Fan muttered, his brow furrowed.
Yue Chan, catching his words, eyed him suspiciously. "What are you looking for?"
Lin Fan shook his head, brushing her off. "Nothing much."
"Hmph, fine, keep your secrets. I don't even want to know," Yue Chan huffed, her vibrant lips pursing in a pout. His evasiveness irked her.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Lin Fan was up to something. This was his first time in the Lower Realm, yet every move he made seemed deliberate, as if guided by a hidden purpose. If training was his goal, the eight domains—Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, Cosmos, Universe, Flood, and Wilderness—offered countless options. Why cross multiple domains from the Universe Domain to this remote Wilderness Domain?
"Let's head that way. There's something in it for you," Lin Fan said, directing the luan bird with a point of his finger.
The five-colored luan bird, a legacy beast he'd tamed early in their journey, served as their trusty steed, making travel far more convenient.
Not that Lin Fan couldn't fly on his own. Having reached the Spirit Transformation Realm, he could transform his body into a spirit, soaring through the skies with the aid of divine techniques like Shrinking Earth to Inches, achieving astonishing speed. But such feats drained energy rapidly, and Yue Chan couldn't sustain them. In the perilous Great Wilderness, conserving strength was paramount.
"Look! Something's happened over there—it looks like the aftermath of a massive battle!" Yue Chan exclaimed after some time, pointing to a mountain range hundreds of li ahead.
The earth was fractured, rivers and peaks shattered into rubble. The land lay barren, pitted and lifeless, steeped in an oppressive aura of death.
As they ventured deeper, the devastation grew more harrowing. Ruins of countless structures—crumbled walls and toppled cities—stretched across the landscape. After traveling thousands of li, they found no trace of life, only the lingering scent of blood in the air, with no corpses in sight.
Clearly, a catastrophic battle had raged here, annihilating entire tribes and turning vast territories into a desolate graveyard.
"How cruel… to leave no survivors. Such slaughter!" Yue Chan shuddered, her face paling as the horror sank in.
"This must be the place. But… am I too late? Has it already ended?" Lin Fan murmured, urging the luan bird onward.
The scene grew bleaker: thousands of li of scorched earth, melted mountains, and rivers reduced to ash. They spotted traces of the battle—massive claw marks that had collapsed entire mountain ranges, leaving abyssal craters in their wake. The sheer scale was terrifying.
Lin Fan surveyed the area, noting that the conflict had likely ended one or two months ago. The land had settled, with only a few streams of lava still trickling through the ruins.
"I wonder where the Mountain Treasure ended up. If the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow got it, finding it will be a hassle," Lin Fan sighed.
After days of fruitless searching, they decided to seek out a populated area to gather information.
"There's a village below. Let's go," Lin Fan said, patting the luan bird's feathers to signal descent.
The village was small, nestled between three mountains, with a river flowing past its entrance. Nearby, a crystal-clear lake reflected the sky.
By the lake, vibrant birds with shimmering plumage strutted gracefully, while a herd of unicorns glowed with silver light, their presence serene and harmonious.
This was a true paradise, a sanctuary untouched by the world's chaos, brimming with peace and simplicity.
The villagers lived humbly, their homes built from stone and mud. Men, women, and children wore beast hides or coarse linen, their faces radiant with contentment.
"Come on, let's pay our respects at the village!" Lin Fan said with a grin, landing at the entrance. He refrained from barging in, showing unusual courtesy—especially toward the willow tree at the village's edge, which he regarded with deep respect.
Yue Chan raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his sudden politeness. Since when is he so well-mannered?
An elderly man with white hair approached, flanked by several sturdy middle-aged men. Spotting the five-colored luan bird, they tensed, forming a defensive stance and halting a dozen zhang away.
"Ahem, no need to worry, Grandpa. We mean no harm—just hoping to grab a bite to eat," Lin Fan said, a touch sheepishly. He signaled the luan bird to back off and nudged Yue Chan's waist.
Catching his cue, Yue Chan put on a pitiful expression, her eyes pleading as she looked at the elder. "Yes, Grandpa, we're so hungry. Do you have any food?"
Lin Fan mentally applauded her. Women really are natural actors.
The elder's wariness eased slightly, though he remained cautious. The village had only recently emerged from a great calamity, and trust came slowly.
He studied the two children, their beast-hide clothes tattered and stained with dried blood, clear signs of their arduous journey through the wilderness. Yet, despite their disheveled appearance, their vibrant eyes and extraordinary aura marked them as anything but ordinary.
"Grandpa, we can provide our own ingredients," Lin Fan added, hoping to dispel their doubts. From his Qiankun Bag, he produced the corpse of a golden crocodile, seven or eight zhang long, its bulk like a small hill.
"This… a golden crocodile, an ancient legacy beast! It's fully grown, with horns!" The elder and his companions gasped, stunned.
Their gazes shifted to the children, now tinged with curiosity and caution. How could two youths, barely nine or ten, have slain a beast stronger than many sacrificial spirits? It was unthinkable, making them even more guarded.
Oops… maybe I shouldn't have shown it off, Lin Fan thought, reading their expressions.
But his bright eyes sparkled with an idea, and he flashed an innocent smile. "Grandpa, we really mean no harm. If you don't believe us, ask your sacrificial spirit."
The elder's face lit up. It was a sound suggestion. "Sacrificial Spirit, please advise…"
A divine ripple of intent answered, its voice neither male nor female. "Let them enter. They bear no ill will."
"Very well," the elder said, nodding. He and the others relaxed, their faces breaking into warm smiles as they welcomed the pair into the village.
"Young friend, put that beast away. The village can spare a meal," the elder said kindly. Though tempted by the legacy beast's corpse, he wouldn't claim what wasn't theirs.
"No worries, Grandpa. It's just a legacy beast—let's cook it and share!" Lin Fan said with a guileless grin, walking alongside the elder. As they passed the willow tree, he gently tugged the puzzled Yue Chan to bow respectfully.
Seeing Lin Fan's nonchalance about the precious beast, the elder's last reservations melted away.
Someone who doesn't bat an eye at a rare legacy beast wouldn't covet our humble little village, would they?
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