Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 1240 Little Luo Jia (I only realized I forgot to post it after finishing writing it, so sad).

Xia Xiu looked at the extra turn options, his gaze lingering on "Give Luo Jia a Dream" for a moment. He could now use the dream to establish a father-son connection with Luo Jia, who had "started" in the game.

His fingertips landed on the pages of the book.

[Confirm selection: Grant Luo Jia a dream.]

[Target: Luo Jia.]

Interference intensity: Low.

[Expected Outcome: Luo Jia's spiritual awakening will be accelerated!]

The next instant, Xia Xiu's great spirituality sank downwards along the [Narrative Book].

The flames of the red scars, the rules of the miniature garden, the cycles of civilization and the turns of narrative are like layers of curtains blocking his way, but the platinum pages of [The Sky Overflowing with Eternal Light] slowly turn, finding a very thin gap between these curtains for him.

Xia Xiu didn't forcefully break the rules; if he had, the red scars would have discovered his cheating behavior.

He simply sent a wisp of dream into Luo Jia's dream world.

……

……

Red sand wasteland, a tribe of the weak.

Night fell on the sand, and the wind swept through the low dunes, stirring up fine red dust. Only a few night watchmen remained awake by the fire pit, clutching their chipped spears and bone bows, their eyes warily fixed on the depths of darkness.

The tribe had already begun its migration. The tents were being torn down and rolled up, and the backs of the thin horses were laden with animal hides, water bags, and dried meat strips. The old and the children huddled around the hearth, relying on the last bit of warmth to ward off the night's chill.

Luo Jia slept next to the central hearth. This child, who was an infant seventeen days ago, had now grown to the size of a three or four-year-old. He had a broad forehead, steady breathing, and was wrapped in charred animal hide. His chest rose and fell slowly with his sleep.

Mogar sat not far away.

The lame chieftain was not asleep. He pressed one hand against the chipped bone spear and gently stroked the old stone at the edge of the hearth with the other, his face showing the weariness and unease of the impending migration.

The weakened tribe has few options left.

They were exiled to the desert, their water supply cut off, their livestock dying one after another, and the Ebony tribes behind them would not accept them. In the southern dunes, there were dark legends that would make people forget their names.

But when Mogar glanced at the sleeping Luo Jia, the chill in his heart was suppressed again.

The child's arrival was so bizarre; there were no footprints, no tire tracks, only a ring of sand burned to a glassy state, and an abnormal growth that occurred within seventeen days and nights.

The old witch doctor said it was a new fire left by the ancestral spirits for the weak. Mogar didn't believe it at first, but when Roger pointed east and the sparks in the hearth rolled eastward, he suddenly decided to believe it for once.

At that moment, Luo Jia had a dream.

In his dream, he stood in an endless sea of ​​platinum light.

Red sand, fire pit, leather tent, lean horse, hunter, and cold wind have all vanished, replaced by a towering structure with no end in sight, and the shadow of a huge book hanging above it.

The sound of pages turning filled the air, and Luo Jia saw many images.

He saw himself being lifted up by Mogar, saw the weak tribe trudging through the red sand, saw black stone tablets buried beneath the dried-up riverbed, and saw city-states, kingdoms, temples, and countless people kneeling before the firelight in the distance.

He also saw a figure standing at the end of the sea of ​​light, its face blurred, but behind it was a black sun that he could not look away from.

Luo Jia is still very young. He has only spent seventeen days and nights in this red scar. Many words still need to be pieced together from the mouths of Mogar, the old witch doctor, and the tribal elders, but his spirituality has already far surpassed that of ordinary people.

He didn't know who the figure was, but he instinctively felt that there was some connection between him and the other person that was deeper than blood.

"Luo Jia".

Xia Xiu's voice descended from the end of the sea of ​​light, gentle and steady, as if it had traveled a long way to reach the child.

The child in the dream raised his head. He felt no fear, but looked at the figure with an almost innate seriousness, as if trying to remember the other person in his still short life.

"who are you?"

Xia Xiu looked at him, his tone becoming even softer.

"Your father."

Little Luo Jia tilted his head.

"Father?"

This word was still unfamiliar to him.

He thought for a moment, then looked at Xia Xiu very seriously.

"I feel like I've seen you before."

Xia Xiu's eyebrows twitched slightly, while Xiao Luo Jia raised his hand, pointed to the black sun behind Xia Xiu, and then looked down at the spark of a dream on his chest.

“The old witch doctor said that all our tribes believe in a sect called the Covenant Church. There are four ancient shadows in the hearth, which are our supreme God in four aspects. He taught the people of the desert long ago to fear wisdom, courage, life and dreams.”

"The elders also said that exiles must not call out the names of those old shadows, for they will hear them."

"But I saw another person in the fire."

“He came from beyond the heavens, riding on a sea of ​​steel clouds through the stars, followed by an army of angels and burning banners. He did not bow to the four old shadows, nor to the temples in the desert; all those kneeling before the fire looked up at him as if they were seeing a true sun that would answer prayers.”

Luo Jia spoke very slowly.

These words were too complex for him; much of the content came from tribal stories, words taught to him by shamans, and his own brief but clear prophetic perceptions.

"The old witch doctor also said that beyond the stars there is darkness, which will creep into the world from behind the door, devouring people's names, hearths, and past. When that day comes, the one true Father will descend from heaven and put a new fire into people's hearts."

Luo Jia raised his face and looked at Xia Xiu.

The person I dreamed about looked a lot like you.

Upon hearing this, Xia Xiu, seated on the psychic throne, frowned slightly.

Good heavens, why are the four monarchs of this ditch still chasing him? And how come the red scars contain the affairs of the four of you?
The underlying code can't be changed, and these four kinds of things can be found in every world.

Xia Xiu couldn't help but sneer inwardly. These four were really persistent. But now Red Scar wasn't lacking in numbers either. More people were better; at least it would be more lively.

At this moment, Luo Jia asked, "Are those four... also fathers?"

Xia Xiu looked at the little Luo Jia in his dream, his voice softening again. The black sun at the end of the sea of ​​light also softened its sharpness, leaving only a gentle dark golden outline.

“Luo Jia, those old shadows are not worthy to be your father. They only speak through people’s fears and desires. When you grow up, you will meet many things that claim to be gods, truths, and destiny.”

“You can listen to what they say, observe what they do, and borrow the knowledge they leave behind, but do not give your heart to them, because once you give your heart away, you will lose everything.”

Luo Jia nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Then to whom should I give my heart?"

Xia Xiu looked at the child who had just arrived in the world, remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand, and a golden-white spark landed in Luo Jia's palm.

"Leave it to yourself first."

Luo Jia looked down at the spark in his palm. The light was small, but it steadily illuminated his fingers and the nascent faith in his eyes.

"Will you come looking for me?"

"meeting."

As Xia Xiu's voice faded, the [Narrative Book] in the sea of ​​light slowly opened, and golden-white characters rose from the pages. Tiny rays of light followed the dream and fell into Luo Jia's body.

[The dream grants completion.]

[Target: Luo Jia.] [Transcendent Awakening Ahead of Schedule.]

[Ability Generation: Prophecy in Fire.]

[Ability Generation: Telepathy.]

[Ability Generation: Word of Persuasion.]

[Ability Generation: Low-level Psionic Protection.]

[Narrative anchor strengthened: the mystical child.]

As Luo Jia grasped that tiny spark, he suddenly saw even more fragments before his eyes.

He saw a black stone tablet buried in sand beneath the dried-up riverbed to the east, and behind the tablet was an underground water vein that had not yet completely dried up. He also saw a group of grassland raiders who would catch up with the tribe along the old trade route in three days.

Further away, he also heard many other voices.

Mogar fears the tribe won't survive the winter, the old witch doctor worries the children will starve to death, the hunters are privately debating whether to abandon the wounded, and a few young men are already preparing to escape with the last skinny horse.

These voices flooded into Luo Jia's heart, but they did not crush him.

The tiny golden spark trembled gently in his chest, separating all the chaotic thoughts into lines that could be understood, comforted, and guided.

Xia Xiu watched this scene and said calmly:
"Use this power to see people's hearts clearly, and use it to lead them out of the Red Sands. Mogar will protect you, the old witch doctor will speak for you, and the hunters will listen to the voices that will allow them to live."

"Don't rush to make everyone kneel down to you. First, let them eat their fill, let them find water, and let them see tomorrow even in dire straits. Faith should never be built on fear alone; it must be able to keep people alive."

Luo Jia kept those words in mind.

The dream quickly began to dissipate, the sea of ​​light receded, the black sun disappeared, the sound of pages turning gradually faded away, and the cold wind of the night in the red sand wasteland once again entered his senses.

By the central fire pit in the weak tribe, Luo Jia awoke from his sleep.

The ashes in the hearth had already cooled, but the moment he opened his eyes, a golden-white spark ignited from the ashes, then rolled eastward along the ashes, leaving a few brief, glowing trails on the sand.

The Night Watchman stood up abruptly, the old witch doctor knelt by the fire pit, and Mogar walked over, leaning on his chipped bone spear. The entire tribe of the Weaklings awoke in the firelight.

Roger sat on the animal skin rug and looked up at Mogar.

“There is water in the east, behind the black stone tablet. In three days, riders will catch up with us and want to steal the last horse and the child.”

Mogar's expression changed, and the hunters instinctively gripped their short spears tighter.

Luo Jia didn't stop. He looked at the few young people at the back of the crowd who were preparing to escape. His childish voice crossed the fire pit and clearly reached everyone's ears.

“You want to take the horses away, but you can’t get out of the Red Sands, and the horses will collapse on the second night. Stay and follow Mogar to the East, where you will have water to drink and a fire pit to burn again.”

The young men's expressions changed instantly. None of them had mentioned any plans to escape, but Luo Jia had voiced their hidden thoughts.

Seeing the young man's face change drastically, Mogar immediately realized that what Little Luo Jia said was true. So, he stuck the notched bone spear next to the fire pit.

"Everyone packed their belongings, the elderly and children walked in the middle, the hunters split into two teams, and the scouts went ahead to the east to find the stone tablet."

"Anyone who dares to run away with a horse without permission will have their legs broken by my own hands—don't doubt whether I can do it now."

Subsequently, Mogar defied the objections of others and chose to trust Luo Jia, and the weak tribe set off before dawn.

They left the old camp in the direction pointed out by Luo Jia, avoiding three quicksand pits and the den of a pack of prairie hyenas. By dusk the next day, the scouts indeed found half of a black stone tablet protruding from the sand at the edge of the dry riverbed.

Behind the stone tablet, the sandy ground was damp. After the hunters dug three feet deep, murky groundwater gushed out.

The entire tribe knelt down at the edge of the river at that moment.

Mogar looked at the water, then at Roger, who was being held in the woman's arms, and the last trace of doubt in his eyes was washed away.

……

……

Beyond the red scar, on the psychic throne, Xia Xiu's [Narrative Book] began updating with new narrative content.

[Round action settlement complete.]

[Through the "prophecy in the fire," Luo Jia guided the tribe to find an underground water vein beneath the dried-up riverbed, temporarily alleviating the food and water crisis of the weakened tribe.]

[Rogar uncovers the fugitives' plan through telepathy, preventing the tribe from splitting during their migration. Chief Mogar then uses this opportunity to reintegrate the hunters and the wounded.]

[Luo Jia used "persuasion through words" to stabilize the people's hearts, and the tribe members began to regard him as the ancestral spirit's flame on their journey of exile. The old shaman formally proposed to establish a hearth prayer ritual.]

Population: 2 → 2.

[Economy: 11-1 → 10.]

【食物：4-1→ 3，发现地下水脉后临时补正+2，当前食物与饮水综合储备：5。】

[Technology: 5 → 6.]

[Religion: 12+1 → 15+2.]

[Extraordinary: 6 → 8.]

Production: 3 → 4.

[Military: 2 → 2.]

[Buildings: 3 → 4.]

[New building: River Camp.]

[Technology Tree Update: Unlock "Water Finding Experience"]

[Technology Tree Update: Unlock "Simple Pottery Jar"]

[City Tree Update: "Fire Pit Ritual" unlocked.]

[City Tree Update: Unlocks "Ancestral Witness".]

[A new narrative anchor: Roger's first prophecy.]

[In this round, guided by Rogar's prophecy, the Weaklings tribe completed their migration preparations before dawn. Their leader, Mogar, reorganized the hunters, the wounded, and the fugitives, sending the Remnant Spear Hunting Team eastward to scout, and ordering the Lean Horse Scouts to search for water sources along the old riverbed.]

The old shaman declared Roja the "Ancestral Spirit Fire" before the central hearth, and organized the tribe members to complete the first hearth ritual with ashes, animal bones, and the last piece of dried meat. This reunited the exiled tribe, which was on the verge of splitting apart, with a new oath centered around Roja and Mogar.

The hunters discovered a black stone tablet at the edge of a dried-up riverbed and dug out an underground water vein behind it. The tribe used this water source to establish a temporary river camp, temporarily alleviating the water shortage crisis for the next three cycles. They also began experimenting with firing simple pottery jars from the river mud to store water and preserve food.

[Several young men who were planning to escape with their horses were warned of their intentions by Luo Jia. Instead of executing them, Mogar incorporated them into the scouting team, allowing them to repay their betrayal of the hearth by scouting and guarding the area. This action stabilized the internal order of the tribe and restored Mogar's prestige as a leader.]

[In this round, the weakened tribe shifts from a simple survival strategy to an initial development path of "occupying the ruins of the dried-up riverbed"; Luo Jia's first prophecy becomes a shared memory of the tribe, leading to the formation of the hearth ritual, ancestral witness, and riverbed camp.]

Xia Xiu looked at the updated content and tapped the [Narrative Book] lightly with his fingertips.

"The start was pretty stable. Next, we need to use Little Luo Jia to ramp up production, transition to the next civilization class, and develop military power... During this time, we can use the superior annotations to secretly acquire a few more mines."

Thinking about this, Lao Xia felt that there weren't enough cheats, so he used [Superior Annotation] to open a full-map view from a God's perspective—playing games should involve lighting up the map, and scouts are too inefficient.

With the full vision buff, Xia Xiu could see the locations and troop deployments of other civilizations. Currently, the most developed were the Wuwutu consciousness group and the Elven race, each with a strong and well-equipped army.

He stroked his chin, pondering the next few rounds of maneuvering.

"Luo Jia needs to be several eras ahead, using productivity that surpasses the times to directly flatten this battlefield, and then use this as a starting point to begin conquering other world civilizations... Once Luo Jia has developed to a certain extent, I can go find the thirteenth perfect embryo, and then follow the same method to advance on two fronts and end this boring farce."

I finished writing this an hour early tonight, and only now do I realize I forgot to click publish... *tears*