Stone Village, Center
Half a day passed.
Shi Yi, who had been suspended in midair by the slender willow branches, was finally released from the glowing green tendrils.
During this time, the old clan leader, Shi Yunfeng, led a large group of villagers in kneeling, pleading, and offering tributes to appease the offended sacrificial spirit. Only then was Shi Yi, the brazen transgressor, set free.
In truth, if not for Shi Yi's mere six years of age, Liu Shen would have obliterated him, body and soul.
Heavy Pupil bearer? So what?
She had seen countless geniuses in her time, yet only a handful ever rose to greatness. And with Shi Yi's carefree disposition, even if he did grow powerful, he'd likely amount to little.
Indeed, his heart was undisciplined—lazy, averse to hardship. His sole redeeming trait, perhaps, was his self-awareness.
Liu Shen, though now weakened to the extreme, far from her former glory, could still see through Shi Yi's nature with a single glance. And her judgment of character was rarely wrong.
"Old Clan Leader, thank you for pleading on my behalf. My name is Shi Yi. When I return to the Martial King Manor, I'll surely send generous gifts," Shi Yi said earnestly, gratitude in his voice.
He had no desire to entangle himself with Stone Village or tread the same lonely, sorrowful path as his cousin Shi Hao. One person's perfection is no perfection at all.
"Child, I know you're confused about why you're here in Stone Village. You want answers, and you long to return home. But the Great Wilderness spans hundreds of thousands of miles—how will you make it back?" Shi Yunfeng said gently, trying to reason with him.
As he spoke, a monstrous crocodile lumbered past the village, its hundred-meter-long body radiating the terrifying aura of an ancient remnant species. Its cold, brutal eyes swept over Stone Village, lingering on the charred willow at its center. As if sensing something fearsome, it hastily retreated, scurrying away from the village's vicinity.
"Hundreds of thousands of miles…" Shi Yi fell silent.
Back at the Martial King Manor, he had been immersed in medicinal baths, not yet formally cultivating. Only half a month ago, after undergoing the pure-blood ferocious beast true blood baptism, had he begun his cultivation journey. Though he had memorized numerous cultivation methods, he was still in the Blood Transformation Realm (搬血境), honing his physical body. Post-baptism, his strength had barely broken through from ninety thousand jin to around one hundred thousand jin.
Shi Yi was not Shi Hao, nor could he be.
Shi Hao thrived on overcoming stronger foes, defying the odds. Shi Yi, however, preferred to dominate the weak, crushing enemies with absolute power. It might sound shameless compared to Shi Hao's heroics, but that was reality: the strong preyed on the weak.
Yet Shi Yi was cautious. The Great Wilderness was fraught with peril, teeming with ancient remnant species. He wasn't one to gamble with his life—especially not after offending Liu Shen. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't bet on the goodwill of others. He wasn't Shi Hao. What if Liu Shen simply watched him perish?
"Child, you've completed your baptism and can now cultivate formally. Build your strength, and returning home later won't be impossible," Shi Yunfeng advised.
The baptism was a universal rite for cultivators in this world, a prerequisite to formal cultivation. Medicinal baths tempered the body, and at a certain age, true blood baptism laid the foundation for cultivation. Only then could one truly begin.
Ordinary clan cultivators used the true blood of primordial beasts or rare variants. Disciples of greater powers might use ancient remnant species true blood, while the finest, like Shi Yi's, was pure-blood ferocious beast true blood.
Shi Hao, now three, faced a deadline. If his grandfather, Shi Zhongtian, didn't return from the Hundred Clans Battlefield by the time he turned seven, he'd have to settle for ancient remnant species true blood. Beyond seven, delayed cultivation could stunt his potential. But ancient remnant species true blood was no trifling matter—without the Martial King Manor's Venerable Realm elders, securing it would be no easy feat.
"Cultivation…" Shi Yi's voice wavered. "Old Clan Leader, are you sure I came alone? You didn't see any imposing white-haired elders escorting me?"
He was desperate to avoid the hardships of Stone Village, yearning to return to his life as a pampered prince of the Martial King Manor. There, he was a noble heir, backed by the Stone Kingdom's imperial lineage. His mother hailed from the Rain Clan, supported by the Rain King, a Venerable Realm powerhouse with ties to Upper Realm deities. His father was linked to the Demon Spirit Lake, and his master was also a Venerable Realm expert. This was the perfect setup for a carefree, indulgent life—teasing the maidservant A'man included.
Yet fate was cruel. He hadn't revealed Shi Hao's Supreme Bone, even shielding it intentionally, and still he was exiled to this remote village. Why? Shi Yi wanted to scream. Who did I wrong? All because I can't handle a little hardship?
"Well…" Shi Yunfeng hesitated, unsure whether to reveal that two terrifying elders lingered outside the village.
"Don't tell him," two aged voices echoed in Shi Yunfeng's mind. "If you do, you'll have to return the ancient remnant species true blood we gave you."
"Yi'er's too lazy, always indulging in pleasure and whining about medicinal baths. You don't want him to become a useless dandy, do you?"
The voices made Shi Yunfeng pause. That true blood, if used wisely, could birth a powerhouse for Stone Village.
"Keep Shi Yi here," another voice, genderless and indistinct, resounded in his mind. "He bears Heavy Pupils, a born sage. With the right opportunity, he could lead Stone Village to truly thrive in the Great Wilderness, freeing you from constant worry about food."
If the elders' voices sowed hesitation, this voice—Liu Shen's—cemented Shi Yunfeng's resolve. This boy must not leave!
"Old Clan Leader, you've been hemming and hawing—what is it?" Shi Yi pressed.
"I… didn't see anyone. When you appeared outside the village, there was only a bronze cauldron," Shi Yunfeng said, swallowing his guilt.
"Really? No one at all?" Shi Yi clung to a shred of hope.
"Truly, no one," Shi Yunfeng shook his head.
"I…" Shi Yi covered his face, suspicion flickering. He wondered if Shi Yunfeng was lying, perhaps coerced. But what if he wasn't? Am I really abandoned? Has the Martial King Manor discovered Shi Hao's Supreme Bone and deemed it more worthy of cultivation, casting me, the Heavy Pupil bearer, into the wilderness to fend for myself?
The Great Wilderness was vast and untamed, and Shi Yi was truly panicked.
"Eighth Grandpa, it's me, Yi'er! Didn't you say I was your favorite?"
"Ninth Grandpa, have you forgotten? Last year, I studied precious techniques with you!"
"Eleventh Grandpa, I know you prefer Shi Hao, but I'm still your grandson—adopted, sure, but did you have to screw me over like this?"
"Thirteenth Grandpa, I swear I can handle hardship now! I won't tease Sister A'man anymore! If you hear me, please, take me back!"
Out of options, Shi Yi shouted into the wilderness, his pleas unanswered. His cries only drew the attention of passing primordial beasts, rare variants, and ancient remnant species.
"Fifteenth Grandpa, if you hear this, hurry back from the Hundred Clans Battlefield! Those four old bastards betrayed me, dumping me in this wilderness full of ancient remnant species!"
With that, Shi Yi's defenses crumbled. His furious, incoherent cursing yielded no response, forcing him to face the reality: he had been abandoned.
___
At that moment, Shi Yunfeng carefully retrieved a bone from his chest pocket. It was lustrous white, like a palm-sized piece of mutton-fat jade, radiant and translucent. Though small, it was etched with countless intricate symbols, faintly emitting a chant like the hymns of gods and demons, stirring the blood of those nearby.
"Child, don't be sad! Stone Village has little to offer, but I have this bone. Its symbols are so profound that a single glance could make one cough blood. No one in the village dares study it, fearing grievous injury. It's all we have to give, so be cautious if you examine it," Shi Yunfeng said, guilt weighing on him for deceiving Shi Yi over the true blood. This ancient, mysterious bone was his attempt at compensation.
"Isn't this just a rune bone?" Shi Yi muttered, his Heavy Pupils flaring to life. The words Original True Solution reflected in his gaze.