Over these past days, neither the fierce battles between the tribes and ferocious beasts nor the relentless clash between Shi Yi and the pure-blood Pixiu had disturbed the white pillar of light.
The black orb within it—the Mountain Treasure—remained untouched and pristine.
As of now, Shi Yi was the only contender for the Mountain Treasure left in the open.
Yet he didn't rush to claim it. Instead, he activated his double pupils once more, meticulously scanning his surroundings. He was wary of some hidden schemer pulling a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—a sneak attack from an unseen foe.
Half a day passed like this.
Only then did Shi Yi begin the slow, deliberate process of extracting the black orb from the white pillar. It was a time-consuming task, requiring absolute stillness. Any movement would cause the Mountain Treasure to snap back to its original position.
This peculiar restriction wasn't without reason. The Mountain Treasures weren't natural artifacts born of heaven and earth but relics cast down from the Upper Realm. Their unique array seals were designed to prevent someone from snatching the treasure and fleeing.
The Upper Realm's great powers tossed down these treasures, inciting conflict and slaughter among the Lower Realm's beings. Their goal was to let the creatures fight until only the strongest survived.
___
Deep in the Great Wilderness
"Are we just going to watch? Watch a human youth take the Mountain Treasure birthed by the Great Wilderness?" a voice growled.
"Birthed by the Great Wilderness? Don't you know where these things come from? They're all cast down by the Upper Realm's powers," another retorted.
"Regardless of their origin, there's no doubt they're treasures. To let a human youth claim such a grand opportunity—I, Qiong Qi, can't swallow this insult."
"The Vermilion Bird didn't bother with this Mountain Treasure. Either it's not valuable, or it's a trap. It's definitely not something good! If you want it so badly, go take it yourself," came the sharp reply.
"Foolish! You're the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, with bloodline potential no less than the Vermilion Bird's, yet you're obsessed with comparing yourself to it."
"Hmph, call me foolish? You're the one always trying to surpass Zhu Yan, but you'll never beat it in a fair fight."
And so, the two terrifying creatures inexplicably began to bicker, trading barbs and insults, completely overlooking Shi Yi as he extracted the Mountain Treasure.
They wouldn't normally ignore something so coveted, but with the Vermilion Bird and Zhu Yan—two of the four great ferocious beasts—showing no interest, their own desire for it waned.
It was like a highly sought-after antique vase: when the two most powerful bidders suddenly lose interest, others start to wonder if it's a fake or hiding some unseen flaw.
Beyond that, there was the matter of Shi Yi's unseen protector. These two formidable beings refused to believe a supreme youth with ten Heavenly Passages like Shi Yi lacked a guardian.
It was just a Mountain Treasure, after all.
The Great Wilderness had plenty more.
This time, they'd let Shi Yi have it to avoid making a deadly enemy.
Intelligent beings weren't fools. A supreme youth with ten Heavenly Passages like Shi Yi was destined to ascend to godhood. His future was far beyond what these creatures, trapped in the Lower Realm's Eight Domains, could fathom.
Thus, through a mix of caution and calculation, Shi Yi claimed the Mountain Treasure without further incident. But to his surprise, he found it sealed by another layer of restrictions, one he couldn't break.
"Teacher!" Shi Yi called softly.
In the next moment, a shimmering willow branch extended from one of his ten Heavenly Passages, curling around the Mountain Treasure and retracting swiftly, like a reclusive maiden grabbing takeout and retreating indoors.
"This is an Upper Realm inheritance, containing countless techniques and precious arts. But only one technique and one art are useful to you. Greed leads to indigestion. Wait until you reach the Venerable Realm before attempting to cultivate them," Liu Shen's voice echoed in his mind.
Since Liu Shen had spoken, Shi Yi didn't press further.
He was already stretched thin, primarily cultivating the Original True Solution and Liu Shen's Technique, with the Qilin Step and Suan Ni Precious Technique as supplements. Adding more would make him a jack-of-all-trades, master of none—like a certain Murong Fu from another tale.
___
Days later
After resting, Shi Yi set out from the Great Wilderness, heading east toward the rising sun, intent on returning to the Martial King's Manor to confront them about why they'd seemingly forgotten him.
But as he neared the edge of the Great Wilderness, he encountered the group from the earlier town.
Only the Jiao Clan and Snow Clan remained; the other tribes had already returned to their respective strongholds. The Jiao and Snow Clans, traveling together until now, were about to part ways, each returning to their own.
"Brother Tian, you don't know! Deep in the Great Wilderness, a sea of thunder filled the sky. A human powerhouse fought a pure-blood Pixiu—an adult one—for ten days and nights!"
"And those ten radiant suns? They were breathtaking!"
"My grandpa says those were Heavenly Passages, but I don't believe it. How could anyone have ten Heavenly Passages?"
A gaggle of pretty Snow Clan girls chattered excitedly around Shi Yi.
Perhaps out of jealousy, as they prepared to part ways, a Jiao Clan youth sneered, "Hmph, that kind of human powerhouse is someone a rustic villager like him could never hope to match. Look at him—off doing who-knows-what, his beast hide all tattered. Outside the Great Wilderness, he's just a little beggar."
Among those present—whether the Snow Clan's girls, the Jiao Clan youth, or the elders escorting them for training—no one suspected Shi Yi was that human powerhouse. They assumed he'd been chased by some formidable beast, leaving his beast hide and boots in tatters.
"A little beggar, huh? Maybe so," Shi Yi said with a shrug, unruffled.
In his past life, he had been a beggar no one wanted. He wasn't an orphan—his parents simply didn't want a "useless" son who couldn't excel in school.
Dropping out in eighth grade, he started working under-the-table jobs at thirteen. Cheated out of his earnings, homeless, he'd truly been a beggar for a time.
He'd scraped by until eighteen, thinking his fate might turn when he no longer needed to work illegally. But the sweatshop crushed him, grinding him down.
From 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.—sometimes even 11:00 or midnight with overtime—he became a cog in the factory machine. Life's hardships stripped away every impractical dream from a youth once brimming with ambition.
Yet Shi Yi still clung to the hope of suffering now, thriving later, believing his bitter days would eventually pass.
He endured year after year, but instead of a sweeter tomorrow, he met a global nuclear war. The only thing that came was the blinding light and heat raining down on his head.
That day, tens of millions, including Shi Yi, turned to ash, leaving the world without pain.
___
Days later
Walking ever eastward, toward the rising sun, Shi Yi finally stepped out of the boundless Great Wilderness, spanning billions of li, and entered the Stone Kingdom, home to billions of citizens.
The Stone Kingdom was vast, its territory limitless. In land area alone, this ancient nation dwarfed all the countries of Shi Yi's past life's blue planet combined, several times over.
The Martial King's Manor lay in the kingdom's imperial capital, a mere thousand meter from the imperial palace—practically next door.
As Shi Yi set foot in the Stone Kingdom, he felt a gentle force envelop him. He understood this was the Human Emperor's imperial dragon qi, safeguarding the people of the nation.
Billions of citizens placed their faith in the Human Emperor, and the Human Emperor protected them in turn.
The two were interdependent, inseparable.
At its core, the so-called Human Emperor was akin to a man-made sacrificial spirit.
The Stone Kingdom's billions believed not in gods or immortals, but in the Human Emperor.
Honestly, Shi Yi admired such a nation. Gods and immortals were unreliable, selfish. Only the Human Emperor was truly worthy of trust.
___
The next day
Stone Kingdom, Martial King's Manor
"You calamity! Get out of the Martial King's Manor! This isn't a place for you!"
"Aunt, I—"
"Aunt, what? You're nothing but a harbinger of disaster. Because of you alone, so many have died!"
"Cousin-in-law, please stop. I'll take Hao'er and leave. We won't trouble you anymore."
"Leave—right now!"
"Fine, we'll leave now."
As Shi Yi stepped through the gates of the Martial King's Manor, he saw a woman in a vibrant red robe pulling a tearful boy toward the exit. Their retreating figures looked so lonely, so helpless.
Before Shi Yi could ask what was happening, another woman, also clad in red, threw herself at him, causing the departing mother and son to pause.
"Yi'er! My Yi'er! You're finally back!"
"Mother, please, what's going on?"
Shi Yi moved to gently push the woman away when two soft voices called from behind.
"Yi Gege!"
"Nephew?"
_
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