A group of people wearing animal skin clothing emerged from Stone Village, each with a look of surprise. Willow Deity hadn't concealed herself earlier, and they had all witnessed a dragon appear and transform into a small child.
Looking at the people of Stone Village, Long Xuan didn't see a trace of greed on their faces, only surprise.
This was completely different from the looks he'd seen in the wilderness.
Seeing them, Long Xuan also understood why Willow Deity was willing to stay with this tribe. It wasn't just because of Little One; it also had to do with the simplicity of Stone Village.
"Ee-yah!" Suddenly, Long Xuan saw Little One amongst a group of adults, struggling to hold a clay pot almost as big as himself. He wobbled back and forth, and there were still un-wiped milk stains on his mouth, which was quite amusing.
The adults around him were all watching, occasionally teasing him, which enlivened the atmosphere.
Little One was very fair-skinned, with big, black eyes that darted around. He looked like a white porcelain doll, babbling "ee-yah" and making a large group of people laugh.
Long Xuan was quite surprised. He had met this tragic yet great figure so quickly. Whether in his actions or style, he suited Long Xuan's tastes perfectly.
Looking at the group of people, he addressed the oldest person in the front, a white-haired elder, who was the village elder, Shi Yunfeng. "My name is Long Xuan. I'm new here, and I've brought some gifts."
As he spoke, Long Xuan retrieved a large number of unfinished ferocious beast carcasses from the pearl. The pile of corpses emitted a pressure that startled the people of Stone Village.
The burly, muscular adult men were also astonished. Some of these creatures were ones they had to expend a great deal of effort to catch, and the auras of a few of them made them uneasy.
Iron-Horned Bears, Two-Headed Lions, Thunder-Patterned Pythons, and more. All of them were caught by this half-grown child, which made them look at Long Xuan with more respect.
The group of young children saw so much food, their eyes widened, and their mouths began to water.
The village elder led the villagers to the willow tree and began to pray to it.
"Sacrificial Spirit, what about this child?"
Willow Deity's emerald branches swayed in the wind, and her voice, untainted by the mundane world, drifted over, "He is a descendant of the True Dragons, trustworthy. He can stay in this village."
Shi Yunfeng nodded upon hearing the Sacrificial Spirit's words. They believed in her; she was the guardian of Stone Village, and they trusted her judgment.
Shi Yunfeng turned to Long Xuan and said kindly, "Child, from now on, you are one of us. You can consider this your home."
Hearing the village chief's words and seeing their welcoming gazes, Long Xuan was deeply moved and felt a warmth spread through him. He nodded vigorously.
Looking at Willow Deity, he said, "Sister, I possess the True Dragon Technique. Would you like it?"
Willow Deity was surprised to hear Long Xuan offer her a Ten Evils technique. The Ten Evils techniques were enough to make many people envious, but he was offering it to her.
Seeing his determined expression, Willow Deity didn't refuse and softly replied, "Alright."
Seeing her acceptance, Long Xuan began to transmit the technique to her. As for the True Dragon Technique, as long as it wasn't spread recklessly, it was fine to give it to one or two people.
After browsing the treasure technique, Willow Deity spoke, "As expected of the True Dragon Technique. The leader of the Ten Evils truly lives up to its name. It's also very helpful for me. A complete treasure technique is truly rare. You can come to me if you have any questions about cultivation in the future."
Long Xuan was very excited to hear that Willow Deity was willing to guide him.
This was an ancient giant, whose name as the Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit shook the foreign lands.
Having received Willow Deity's response, Long Xuan went to Little One, looking at the baby, who was half a head shorter than him.
He couldn't help but sigh. The loneliness after growing up was really heart-wrenching.
He touched Little One's head, but Little One shook his head, not liking to be touched on the head.
While following the villagers into the village, he glanced back at Willow Deity, clenched his fist, and thought that at the moment he arrived, those things wouldn't happen.
As the crowd dispersed, Willow Deity also dissipated all its brilliance, as if it had withered.
Looking at the buildings inside, although not luxurious, they were simple and grand. There was also an abundance of spiritual energy, and the air was filled with a hazy glow.
A group of young children were waving their short arms, exercising their bodies.
Everyone was busy with their own tasks. The grown men were using bone clubs and ropes to drag the corpses back from outside the village.
Night.
In the center of Stone Village, a bonfire blazed. Every household was brightly lit, with laughter, the clinking of cups, and chatter echoing through the air.
Generally, such a grand celebration was rare, usually only held for festivals. Today, it was held to celebrate Long Xuan's arrival in Stone Village, to celebrate the addition of a True Dragon descendant. Everyone was overjoyed.
All the corpses of the ferocious beasts had been drained of blood, and then cooked by the aunties and brought out.
They were all cooked to be crystal clear and fragrant, melting in the mouth.
Each bite was like Flesh and Blood Treasure Medicine, a surge of essence flowing along the meridians and into every part of his body.
Everyone quickly wielded their chopsticks, and in the blink of an eye, a portion of the meat was gone, not even the broth was spared.
Long Xuan was even more ferocious, directly using his Dragon-Guiding Hand to grab a piece and gnaw on it, all while commenting, "This is much better than when I roasted it myself. I should learn how to cook it; it'll come in handy when I'm traveling around."
Willow Deity, glancing over, couldn't help but be speechless. The True Dragon Technique was being used in this way. If the True Dragon saw this, would it be resurrected from sheer anger?
She stopped paying attention and continued to contemplate the techniques.
Eating the Flesh and Blood Treasure Medicine, the group exclaimed in amazement, with faint light flickering around them.
"Burp." Little One then burped contentedly, patting his round little belly, and lay there, feeling very comfortable.
Feeling the waves of heat within him, his essence, energy, and spirit were constantly growing stronger, and the light on him was more intense than the others, as he had eaten the most.
Long Xuan, however, didn't react in the same way. He'd eaten quite a bit during this time, and his body had adapted, so the effects of the food weren't as pronounced.
He didn't even know how strong his own body had become.
Watching them gathered around the campfire, eating and talking, the atmosphere was incredibly warm. He felt a sense of belonging.
"Welcome, Long Xuan, to our village!"
A burly man roared, and the others joined in, all expressing their goodwill.
Feeling the atmosphere, Long Xuan joined in, singing and dancing, occasionally taking a sip of the delicious fruit wine.
The feast lasted until the late hours of the night, with remnants of the celebration scattered everywhere.
The next day, the sun rose.
Stone Village was shrouded in mist, with purplish energy swirling in the sky.
Long Xuan stretched, yawning as he emerged from a stone house. As a child, he had drunk a bit too much yesterday, and the fruit wine had a delayed kick!
He watched the children performing a set of body-strengthening exercises, while the grown men were shouldering the massive tripods, their sweat flying.
Long Xuan watched them, feeling a surge of excitement himself. He wanted to test the strength of his current body, and those tripods with their specific weights seemed perfect.
He dashed over and chose the largest tripod, weighing a hundred thousand jin.
The burly man next to him, watching him rush over, shouted, "Hey, that..."
Crack!
Before he could finish, he saw the tripod being slowly lifted. His mouth hung wide open, his jaw nearly dropping in shock.
Long Xuan, however, was frowning slightly. It was easy for a True Dragon to reach the Extreme Realm, but he wasn't satisfied. Although the Extreme Realm was rare, there were still talented individuals who could reach this level.
And if one wants to possess the power to change the future, they must break through the Extreme Realm and undergo another sublimation.
Happy New Year to everyone!
(End of Chapter)