https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-219-Stone-Village-Thunderstruck-Tree-and-the-Young-Emperor-of-the-Wasteland-Part-1-/12964247/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-220-The-Shock-of-Taking-an-Apprentice-Giving-Willow-Deity-a-Little-Surprise-Part-1-/12964249/
Chapter 219: Stone Village, Thunderstruck Tree, and the Young Emperor of the Wasteland (Part 2)
Chapter 219: Stone Village, Thunderstruck Tree, and the Young Emperor of the Wasteland (Part 2)
..
His friends, family, lovers, children, and disciples all vanished before his eyes.
Alone at the pinnacle of the world, he turned back, only to see nothingness.
Witnessing the collapse of his once-flourishing immortal domain and the shattered Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, he reminisced about his past, recalling how he had defeated countless invincible foes, and how none in the world dared to challenge his supremacy. With a mere lift of his hand, he had suppressed and humbled the likes of An Lan and Yu Tu, immortal kings of unparalleled prestige, forcing them to eternally kneel before his ultimate path.
Yet, despite his invincibility, he stood alone, adrift in the river of time, with no one by his side for countless ages...
Though he had achieved endless glory, it was also a life of profound loneliness.
No one could accompany him, and he remained alone, ruling over eternity.
Ruling over eternity!
It seemed like the epitome of dominance.
But to those who had read "Perfect," they understood the endless sorrow behind those words.
It was not a glory to be celebrated, but a life of solitude.
Throughout the myriad realms, no one could keep up with the Young Emperor of the Wasteland's pace. He had no choice but to continually fight, rule over eternity, and face the darkness alone!
Perfection was a group effort.
And it was only because the Young Emperor ruled over eternity and faced the darkness alone that the 'Perfect World' could exist in the future.
Recalling the life of the Young Emperor, even Lin Fan, a man among men, couldn't help but feel a deep ache.
The Young Emperor had endured so much suffering.
Many protagonists had suffered, but few had endured as much as the Young Emperor, and some might say, none could ever compare.
"However..."
"Rest assured, the 'Wasteland' of this world is in good hands."
Lin Fan raised his cup, offering a toast to the air, his voice soft as he emerged from his melancholy, "In 'Perfect,' you walked a solitary path, with no one able to match your stride. In the end, you ruled over eternity alone."
"Looking back, you stood alone."
"But in the Immortal Martial Continent, I won't let that happen to you!"
"At least..."
"You won't be alone, not by your side or behind you!"
He stood up, ready to venture into the vast wasteland.
He was going to support Little Stone.
He was going to give Little Stone a different future.
...
The Wasteland, a common name for the Northeast Domain.
The Wasteland, in truth, was a vast expanse of desolate land.
Within these desolate lands, there was Yuan Qi, but it was not abundant. Cultivation was possible, but prolonged stays in the Wasteland often resulted in lower cultivation ceilings.
Some small tribes and villages managed to survive in these lands, but most of the inhabitants were various types of demonic beasts! In the Northeast Domain, the Feather Clan's struggle for territory...
...directly led to the Feather Clan's awkward situation in the Northeast Domain. It was difficult to secure good locations, and the environment was not conducive to cultivation.
Thus, many demonic beasts with connections had already left the Northeast Domain.
Those who remained either had no connections or were unwilling to leave their homes due to various reasons.
But despite their unwillingness to leave, they also refused to sit idly and wait for death.
As a result, over time, the Northeast Domain developed a unique 'custom' compared to the other seven domains—the Shrine Spirit.
The Shrine Spirit was a practice where a group, in order to protect themselves, would worship a demonic beast or a powerful being, providing faith or other benefits, and in return, the Shrine Spirit would protect the group.
The power of faith could aid demonic beasts in cultivation, and other offerings also brought them advantages.
In turn, the demonic beasts would protect the group, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
Later, some powerful groups also sought out Shrine Spirits, but their demands were greater, and so was their offering of faith.
However, these powerful groups had large populations, providing more faith power, making them attractive to demonic beasts.
And so, after countless millennia...
In the Northeast Domain, almost every village with a decent population had a Shrine Spirit.
This was a sight unseen in the other seven domains.
Lin Fan was not surprised by this.
The Immortal Martial Continent was vast, and it was not unexpected for different domains and even regions within the same domain to develop uniquely.
He ventured into the wasteland alone, relying on his 'Eightfold Mirror Technique' to ensure his safety.
But the search for Little Stone was a challenging and lengthy journey, requiring some luck.
...
On this day, deep within the wasteland, cries echoed from a village.
"Head of the household, woe is me!"
"How can I live without my head of the household?"
"My head of the household has lost a leg. How will we hunt in the future?"
The women wailed, and the young men were filled with rage.
"Those from Stone Village went too far!"
"We saw the prey first!!!"
"Our actions were justified, but they responded with such violence, causing heavy casualties. Village Chief, we must avenge our losses!"
"And they dared to do this without a Shrine Spirit! Village Chief, take action! Bring the Shrine Spirit Elder, and let's seek revenge!"
"Yes, let's avenge Stone Village!"
"Revenge!"
"Revenge..."
Eventually, all other voices faded, leaving only two words.
Revenge!
The Village Chief, clad in a beast hide skirt, revealed his muscular, scarred upper body, a testament to his battles with countless beasts.
His eyes reddened with fury as he roared, "Gather the hunting party!"
"Follow me, we'll charge forward!"
"Today, we'll annihilate Stone Village!"
Immediately, he bowed and knelt, "Please, Shrine Spirit, lend us your power!"
In truth, the Village Head knew there was a problem.
The people of Stone Village were rather domineering, but they didn't cause trouble without reason. In the past, there had been friction, but never had they been as brutal as today!
They were usually more restrained, unless provoked.
The reason today's battle was so fierce was likely because these villagers had provoked the enemy first.
But...
At this moment, there wasn't much more to say.
People had died, and not just one, this grudge, must be avenged!
"Hmm..."
A muffled hum sounded, followed by a coarse voice, "You all go ahead, this Shrine Spirit will be there soon."
"Remember, this Shrine Spirit, needs blood to feed."
"Yes, Shrine Spirit."
The Village Head immediately led the villagers towards Stone Village...
...
Stone Village.
The hunting team returned with a bountiful harvest.
But almost everyone was injured.
Their bodies were covered in blood, and the women and children, seeing this, were extremely worried. They hurried over to check on the situation, and some even cried out.
Then, they busied themselves.
Some were responsible for cleaning and bandaging wounds.
Others were tasked with butchering the prey.
But the Elder Village Head's expression was grim, "Black Wind Village?"
The hunting team leader, Shi Jiu, angrily said, "Those people from Black Wind Village should die!"
"We fought with our severe injuries to kill that third-stage Demon Wolf. But they wanted to be vultures, claiming they saw it first and even taking the initiative to attack."
"We had no choice but to fight back with all our might."
"Although we were all injured, we managed to kill several of them and cripple a few more. That's how we returned safely."
"If we hadn't fought with our lives on the line, fearless of death, we might have returned empty-handed today!"
"How dare they?"
Hearing this, the Elder Village Head was also furious, but soon he let out a bitter laugh, "The people of Black Wind Village are narrow-minded, and their Shrine Spirit is a demonic entity that craves blood."
"Today's matter will be difficult to resolve peacefully."
"You all quickly eat your fill and heal your wounds."
"This battle..."
"Will depend on you."
"Don't worry, Village Head, we fear nothing!"
The hunting team members shouted, but they also understood the gravity of the situation and didn't dare delay, quickly dispersing.
Leader Shi Jiu took out a beast hide pouch from his waist, "Village Head, we were lucky today. We got some beast milk, give it to that Little One to drink."
"Hehe."
When it came to the Little One, a smile appeared on the Elder Village Head's face.
But soon, the smile was replaced by a cold expression.
"I'll do it, you go and heal your wounds!"
"Okay."
Taking the beast hide pouch, the Elder Village Head turned and headed back into the cave.
Crack! Clap!
Inside the cave, a bonfire was burning.
As the wood burned, it occasionally crackled.
Above the bonfire, there was a stone jar.
Inside the jar, it was filled with beast blood.
At this moment, bubbles were gurgling.
Suddenly—
A small head popped out of the jar.
He wiped the blood from his face and chuckled, "So fun."
"Grandpa Village Head, you're back?"
He was only four or five years old, but he was extremely lively, and his mischievous eyes immediately spotted the beast hide pouch in the old man's hand. His eyes lit up, and he jumped out of the jar, bare-bottomed.
"I want to drink beast milk."
"Okay, okay!"
The Elder Village Head smiled indulgently, handed the beast hide pouch to the Little One, and draped a piece of clothing over him, then stood guard by his side.
"Gulp, gulp!"
The Little One started drinking.
He was small, but he had a big appetite.
He drank mouthful after mouthful, too fast.
At least two liters of beast milk were guzzled down, and then he smacked his lips, still wanting more.
"Burp~"
The Little One laughed.
The Elder Village Head laughed along.
But as he laughed, the worry on his face became harder to conceal.
"Grandpa Village Head, aren't you happy? Why the long face?"
The Little One hugged his arm, "I don't want you to be unhappy."
"I'm fine..."
"Just thinking about some past events."
"You, Little One." Grandpa Village Head smiled, "Quickly get back into the jar! Don't waste the medicinal properties!"
"Okay."
"Lightly, lightly~!"
The Little One stuck out his tongue and, with a puff of smoke, jumped back into the jar.
He was still very young, both in age and stature.
He looked extremely weak.
But he was extremely agile and had 'strength'! This eased the Elder Village Head's tensed nerves a little.
Then.
He stood guard at the cave entrance, occasionally gazing into the distance...
Nightfall arrived swiftly.
The bonfire died out, and the Little One had already fallen asleep.
Stroking the Little One's forehead, the Elder Village Head slowly stood up and walked out of the cave.
Outside, the fire blazed, occasionally rising over ten feet high, bringing waves of heat that dispelled the night's chill.
But...
At this moment, their bodies weren't cold, but the villagers' hearts were.
The entire hunting team gathered.
Although their wounds hadn't fully healed, and everyone needed time to recover, at this moment, none of them were absent, and a solemn atmosphere spread among the group.
"Village Head!"
Seeing the Elder Village Head, they all stood up.
"Hmm."
The Elder Village Head nodded, "My boys, tonight, we fight to the death!"
"Elder Village Head?"
The crowd was surprised and wanted to dissuade him.
But the Elder Village Head slowly shook his head, his attitude resolute, "There are no whole eggs under a broken nest. Tonight, no one can stay out of this. I may be old, but I'm not useless."
"No need for more words."
The crowd fell silent.
Shi Jiu was about to try again, but a female voice rang out, "The Elder Village Head is right, we must defend our home."
"Xiaochun?!"
Shi Jiu was shocked.
He turned to look, and the speaker was his wife, "You're the hunting team leader, and I'm the hunting team leader's wife! Holding a knife, she stared at him, "Should we just watch you all fight to the death while we cower in fear?"
"Yes!"
The other young women also picked up their weapons, "We will fight too!"
"And me!"
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy rushed out, howling.
But he was kicked back into the house by his father, "What's it to you? I'm not dead yet!"
"Dad!"
The boy cried out in pain.
"Shut up!"
Then, their faces changed.
"They're here!"
Shi Jiu and the others suddenly charged out of the village gate, ready for battle.
The village chief walked forward slowly.
Passing by the village entrance, he saw the tall, pitch-black thunderstruck tree by the well and stopped in his tracks. He knelt down and bowed respectfully.
"Willow Deity."
"Only I know that you are an incredibly powerful existence."
"For two months, I have led the village in worship, not asking you to defeat our enemies or relieve our siege, but only hoping that if our village cannot withstand the attack, you, Willow Deity, will save the lives of our women and children."
After saying this, he didn't wait for a response from the thunderstruck tree and strode forward.
"Stone Village!"
The Heifeng Village Chief, Fan Jianglong, charged in.
Leading the charge, his body was covered in scars, making him look particularly ferocious, "You dare steal our hunt and kill our villagers. Today, I, the village chief, have come to seek justice!"
"Die!"
"Justice?!"
Shi Jiu stepped forward to fight to the death, shouting, "Justice lies in the hearts of the people!"
"Don't you know what your Heifeng Village has done?"
"If you want to fight, we won't back down!"
"Good!"
Fan Jianglong, the Heifeng Village Chief, coldly hummed, "Good, good, today, Stone Village will be destroyed!"
"Kill!!!"
The battle erupted.
It was just a small village in the wilderness, and their strength wasn't exceptional.
The strongest among them were Fan Jianglong and Shi Jiu, both at the Third Stage of cultivation.
However, Fan Jianglong was at the peak of the Third Stage, while Shi Jiu was only at the beginning of the Third Stage.
As they fought, Shi Jiu gave it his all, but he was suppressed from the start.
On the other battlefields, the situation was similar.
Although Heifeng Village had slightly stronger overall strength, this was Stone Village's home ground, and they were well-prepared. Even the young women had joined the fight, giving them a numerical advantage.
After a fierce battle, Heifeng Village hadn't gained the upper hand. The fighting continued...
Shi Jiu's heart was filled with anxiety.
Fan Jianglong's heart...
Was also anxious.
He was worried that he had summoned the village spirit too late, leading to heavy losses for Heifeng Village.
After all...
Heifeng Village still needed to survive, fight, and hunt in the Great Wasteland while guarding against other tribes.
If the losses were too great, it would be troublesome in the future.
The battle and shouts woke up Little Stone.
He rubbed his eyes and called out softly, but there was no response.
This startled him, and he got up from the stone bed. He discovered a strange figure standing by his bed.
"Who are you?!"
"Why are you here?"
"What's happening outside?"
Little Budiandian was on high alert, like a leopard ready to pounce.
Lin Fan's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
After two months, he had finally found this region.
If it weren't for the distinctive thunderstruck tree at the village entrance, he might not have found it.
"It's so difficult."
"It took two months, using the Eightfold Mirror and Divine Sense, to finally find it."
He muttered, sighing but also feeling excited.
In the shadows, he finally saw the template of the Young Emperor of the Wasteland, still in his youth. The mark on his chest, like a centipede, couldn't be fake.
But if one only looked at his appearance, who would think his fate would be so miserable?
"Who are you, really?!"
Little Budiandian bared his teeth, full of wildness.
"Don't be hasty."
Lin Fan smiled wryly, realizing he had scared the boy. With a wave of his hand, the Eightfold Mirror Technique activated, allowing Little Budiandian to clearly see the battle outside.
"You're... the enemy?!"
Little Budiandian was shocked and even more alert.
"Don't worry."
"If I were the enemy, why would I say more?"
Lin Fan stared at Little Budiandian's eyes, speaking sincerely, "Why do I want to help you?"
"Why help me?"
"Two choices."
"First, I'll help you deal with Stone Village's enemies."
"Second, I'll teach you cultivation methods to help you grow, and you can defeat all enemies yourself!"
"Huh?!"
"Me?"
At this moment, Little Budiandian hadn't truly stepped onto the path of cultivation. He had just recovered from a near-death state and was still at the stage of drinking beast milk and bathing in beast blood.
Naturally, he didn't have the invincible belief of swallowing the world's energy.
Hearing this, he felt a lack of confidence.
"As long as you want to, there's nothing you can't do in this world."
Lin Fan responded, "Answer me, what's your choice?"
He was 'forcing' the issue.
But he was also anticipating.
Anticipating Little Budiandian's choice.
At this moment, Little Budiandian stared intently at the scene in the Eightfold Mirror Technique.
Seeing his uncles and aunts getting injured one after another, he clenched his teeth.
"I want to become stronger, defeat all enemies, and avenge my uncles and aunts!"
"Good!"
Lin Fan was delighted.
Just then, for a moment, he was afraid his appearance might influence Little Budiandian's choice.
But now it seemed he had worried too much.
The Young Emperor of the Wasteland was still the Young Emperor of the Wasteland!
"I'll teach you cultivation methods!"
(End of Chapter)
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