The Western Reaches of the Great Wilderness
Lin Fan sped westward, the wind howling around him. He entered a desolate expanse, another victim of a devastating battle. Shattered mountains and cracked earth stretched endlessly, barren and lifeless, cloaked in eerie silence.
"Where could Zhu Yan have hidden it?" Lin Fan muttered, scratching his head, a trace of urgency in his voice.
He recalled that Zhu Yan, along with himself in some distant memory, had concealed the Mountain Treasure in a vast lake. But now, the entire western region was a parched wasteland, not a drop of water in sight.
Searching would be no easy task. The area was immense, dotted with countless dried lakebeds. Scouring each one would take considerable time.
Moreover, he remembered that the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow had never ceased its hunt for the treasure. During Zhu Yan's amnesia-induced nirvana, the sparrow had briefly claimed it. But in the Lower Realm's great calamity, the sparrow was slain by the Swan Saint, and the treasure ultimately fell into another's hands.
The wind roared as Lin Fan, aided by his treasure, raced tens of thousands of li, meticulously inspecting every dry lake, digging deep into the earth.
Roar…
Suddenly, a colossal ferocious bird soared from the distance, its massive form blotting out the sky. Enshrouded in black mist, its true shape was obscured, save for two lantern-sized green eyes glowing ominously.
With a sweep of its wings, the heavens rumbled, its malevolent aura overwhelming. Those eyes, like twin blood moons, surged with power, their mere glance enough to make souls quiver.
"Could that be the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow? Wasn't it supposed to be injured? How's it back so soon, hunting the Mountain Treasure?" Lin Fan's heart jolted, his lively eyes darting with thought.
"Where did that damned monkey hide the treasure?" The sparrow's icy voice echoed as it scanned the land below. Then it sneered, "Heh, you'd never guess—I've been fighting with my spiritual body all along."
Hidden behind a boulder, Lin Fan overheard its mutterings.
Crafty beast, he thought. The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow was notorious for its treachery—betraying its master, committing heinous acts, and earning universal hatred. Yet it survived, not just through strength but cunning.
"Hm? A little ant still lives!" The sparrow's head snapped toward Lin Fan, its voice booming as it spotted him.
"Caught!" Lin Fan's stomach sank, though he remained composed, slipping one hand behind his back.
The sparrow eyed him, its gaze cold and menacing. "Your cultivation's low, but your vitality's remarkable—rare even among humans. A fine little treat."
Its mountain-sized beak opened, unleashing a terrifying beam of dark light, locking onto Lin Fan, ready to devour him.
To the sparrow, this human was a mere insect, powerless to resist, not worth a second thought.
Boom!
But things didn't unfold as the sparrow expected. Before Lin Fan, a small bronze mirror appeared, unassuming at first glance. In an instant, it erupted with blinding light, its divine might shattering the dark beam. The pressure collapsed the void, pulverizing the surrounding mountains as if doomsday had arrived.
"Trouble!" The sparrow's keen senses screamed of mortal danger. It unleashed its full speed, retreating frantically.
It never imagined that a seemingly insignificant morsel would wield a weapon so terrifying, even to a Venerable.
Too late. The mirror expanded, sealing the space around them. No matter how fast the sparrow fled, it couldn't escape, trapped in place.
Realizing its predicament, the sparrow pleaded, "Young friend, a misunderstanding! I'll make amends…"
"No need. A demonic bird like you, guilty of annihilation, pollutes the world's essence by existing!" Lin Fan sneered.
Without hesitation, he activated the forbidden artifact, forged by a Heavenly Deity. The heavens quaked, the void shattered, and chains of divine order materialized.
Boom!
Runes soared, unleashing eternal divine light that pierced the sky, revealing stars in broad daylight. The Great Wilderness trembled, its creatures cowering in terror.
"What power is this… No… Argh!" The sparrow shrieked, desperately dodging, deploying its strongest treasures and techniques.
But under the divine light's sweep, all was reduced to dust. Resistance was futile—the gap in power was insurmountable.
At last, the tremors subsided, the sky clearing as if nothing had happened.
Only the creatures of the wilderness knew the terror they'd just endured, their bodies and souls still shaking.
Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his brow, staring at the thousands of li now reduced to a vast abyss. Shock colored his face.
"Worthy of a Heavenly Deity's forbidden artifact. Its power could obliterate half the Great Wilderness if aimed at the ground."
Calming himself, he abandoned his search for the Mountain Treasure for now, hastening back the way he came.
Tens of Thousands of Li Away, Stone Village
The villagers felt the staggering pressure, convinced the world was ending.
"What… what happened? Did an ancient god descend upon the wilderness? And where's that kid?" The little red bird, perched on Liu Shen's trunk, muttered in confusion, seeking safety in the mysterious sacrificial spirit's presence.
"Could he have used a forbidden artifact?" Yue Chan mused, her long lashes fluttering, her luminous eyes blinking. Her delicate, beautiful face betrayed a hint of suspicion.
To her, only her treasure-laden fiancé could unleash such divine might in the Wilderness Domain.
A pang of envy struck her. After so long in the Lower Realm, she felt like a rustic, her only notable treasure a jade sword.
Yet, until she reached the Venerable Realm, her sect wouldn't permit her return to the Upper Realm.
This was her trial, her elders had said—to temper her divine embryo to perfection, unlocking transformative potential in the Upper Realm.
Yue Chan had always followed this path, aiming for higher realms, never once complaining.
Crack!
A spatial rift opened at the village's edge. Lin Fan emerged, disheveled and weary, covered in dust.
"Yay, Big Brother's back!" Little Dot squealed, toddling over on his short legs, his chubby face beaming with delight.
Lin Fan ruffled Little Dot's plump cheeks, brushing off his dust as they walked into the village.
"Hey, brat, where'd you go? That commotion in the wilderness—did you cause it?" The little red bird swooped down, its scarlet feathers blazing, eyes glaring with suspicion.
Lin Fan nodded, not bothering to hide it. "I ran into the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, also hunting the Mountain Treasure. It tried to eat me, so I used a forbidden artifact and killed it."
"What? You did that?!" The bird squawked, its feathers standing on end as it staggered back, retreating to Liu Shen's side.
Learning he'd slain the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, its once-fierce glare turned wary, no longer daring to show anger.
"No need to fret. As long as you bear no ill will, I won't use the artifact on you," Lin Fan said with a warm, infectious smile, no different from any boy his age.
"Yeah, Little Red, Big Brother's kind and good to people. Don't be scared!" Little Dot chimed in, waving at the bird, his boldness astonishing.
The little red bird shook its head vehemently, refusing to leave Liu Shen's trunk. This generation's kids are too terrifying—beyond reason!
My bird life's been scared out of me!
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