heaven money

Night had fallen, and darkness enveloped everything, obscuring all sights. Yet the mountains were far from tranquil; the roars of wild beasts shook the land, causing trees to tremble and leaves to fall in disarray.

Amidst the towering mountains and deep valleys, ferocious beasts roam freely, ancient creatures emerge, and terrifying sounds rise and fall in the darkness, threatening to shatter the heavens and earth.

In the mountains, a soft light can be seen in the distance, flickering like a candle flame in the endless darkness of the night, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

As you approach, you can see a huge, dead tree trunk, over ten meters in diameter, completely charred black. Apart from the main trunk, only a single, slender branch remains, yet it radiates vitality. Its leaves are as translucent as carved green jade, and soft light diffuses, enveloping the entire village.

To be precise, this is a tree struck by lightning. Many years ago, it was struck by a bolt of lightning that pierced the heavens, destroying the old willow's massive canopy and vigorous vitality. Now, only a stump, eight or nine meters high and incredibly thick, remains on the ground. The single willow branch, like a chain of green clouds, radiates a halo of light, enveloping and protecting the entire village, making this place of habitation hazy and dreamlike, like a fairyland, appearing very mysterious in this vast wilderness.

The village houses are all made of stone. In the dead of night, the place is peaceful and tranquil, as if it were isolated from the darkness and roars of beasts outside.

"Woo..."

A gust of wind blew by, and a huge dark cloud stretched across the sky, obscuring the entire night sky and blocking out the only remaining starlight, making the mountains even darker.

A fierce bird cry came from the high sky, piercing through gold and splitting rocks, originating from that dark cloud. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an incredibly huge bird, covering the sky and the moon, its length unknown.

Passing by Stone Village, it looked down, its two eyes like two blood moons, exuding a fierce aura. It stared at the old willow tree for a moment before finally flying into the deepest part of the mountains.

After a long period of calm, the earth trembled in the middle of the night, and a blurry figure walked from afar, reaching the same height as the mountains!

An inexplicable aura emanated from the mountains, and the valleys fell into a deathly silence. Even the fiercest birds and beasts lay in wait, not daring to utter a sound.

As it drew nearer, it revealed a humanoid creature, upright-walking, enormous in size, its height comparable to a mountain. Its body was completely hairless, covered in shimmering golden scales. Its face was flat, with only one vertical eye that opened and closed like a golden lightning bolt, sharp and intimidating. Its overall aura was as vast as the sea, making it resemble a god or demon!
It passed by this place, glanced at the old willow tree, paused briefly, and then seemed to be in a hurry to get on its way. Finally, it quickly disappeared into the distance, and many mountain peaks were shaken by its footsteps, causing the mountains to tremble violently.

At dawn, a ten-meter-long, bucket-thick, gleaming silver centipede snaked through the mountains, as if cast from pure silver, each segment shiny and menacing. It clanged as it slicing through the rocks, sending sparks flying. But in the end, it avoided Stone Village, not venturing in. Wherever it passed, black mist billowed, and all beasts fled.

A slender willow branch, shimmering with a soft green glow, swayed gently in the wind...

Stone Village is located in the vast mountains, surrounded by peaks and ravines, and the vast mountains are majestic.

At dawn, the rosy dawn shines like scattered gold, bathing people in a warm glow.

A group of children, ranging from four or five years old to teenagers, numbering in the dozens, were exercising in the open space in front of the village, facing the morning sun. Their young faces were full of seriousness; the older children were vigorous and energetic, while the younger ones were also quite skilled.

A middle-aged man with a physique as strong as a tiger or leopard, wearing an animal skin coat, with bronze skin, loose black hair, and piercing eyes, was carefully instructing each child.

"As the sun rises, all things begin anew, and the life force is at its peak. Although we cannot consume the essence of the sunset as in legends, this practice of training the body in the presence of the rising sun still has immense benefits, replenishing the body's vitality. The day's plan begins in the morning; rise early each day and work diligently to strengthen your muscles and bones, improve blood circulation, and refine your tendons. Only then will you have the means to survive in these vast mountains." The middle-aged man standing at the front, pointing at a group of children, earnestly admonished them, then shouted, "Do you understand?"

"Understood!" a group of children responded loudly and energetically.

The mountains are home to many prehistoric creatures. Giant wings that blot out the sky often sweep across the landscape, casting large shadows on the ground. Wild beasts stand atop the peaks, howling as they devour the moon. And there are also various poisonous insects lurking about, making it an exceptionally terrifying place.

"I understand," a little one, clearly distracted and a beat behind, called out in a childish voice.

This is a very young child, only one or two years old, who has only learned to walk a few months ago and is also exercising. Clearly, he joined the group on his own, blending in with the older children; he obviously shouldn't be in this group yet.

"Hmph, ha, hey!" the little guy made sounds, waving his tender little arms energetically, imitating the movements of older children. However, he was too small, and his movements were crooked and unsteady. In addition, the white milk stains left at the corners of his mouth made people laugh.

A group of older children looked at him, making faces at each other, which eased the originally serious atmosphere of morning exercise.

The little one was fair-skinned and beautiful, with big, bright eyes that darted around. She looked like a porcelain doll, very cute, with innocent movements and babbling, utterly endearing. This brought smiles to the faces of some elderly people sitting cross-legged on huge rocks in another area, absorbing celestial essence.

Even the tall, muscular men, shirtless with bulging, bulging muscles, looked over with smiles. They were the strongest men in the village, the most important force in hunting and protecting the village, and they were all training. Some wielded large white bone clubs made from the bones of unknown giant beasts, while others held broadswords forged from black metal, swinging them forcefully, the wind howling like thunder.

The living environment was extremely harsh, teeming with wild beasts and venomous insects. Many men perished prematurely in the wilderness before reaching adulthood, struggling for food and survival. The only way to survive was to strengthen one's body. Studying diligently in the early morning was a habit cultivated in everyone from childhood, regardless of age or gender.

"Get focused!" shouted the middle-aged man in charge of supervising and guiding the children's practice. The group of children quickly became serious and continued their exercise in the soft and brilliant morning light.

"Phew... Eek, I'm tired." The little guy let out a long breath and plopped down on the ground, watching the older children exercise. But his attention was quickly diverted. He stood up, wobbled, and rushed towards a five-colored bird hopping around not far away. He stumbled and fell several times on his bottom, but he didn't cry. Instead, he huffed and puffed as he got up and chased after it again.

"Okay, close up!"

With a loud shout, all the children cheered, rubbed their sore hands and feet, and then scattered to their homes to prepare for breakfast.

The old men laughed and rose from the boulder. The adults, strong as tigers, laughed and scolded their children, then quickly walked home, carrying bone clubs and broadswords.

Stone Village is not very big, with a population of just over three hundred people, including men, women, and children. The houses are all built of huge stones, simple and natural.

At the entrance of the village stands a huge piece of lightning-struck wood, more than ten meters in diameter. At this moment, the only willow branch on the trunk has lost its luster in the morning glow and looks ordinary.

"Oh, there's earth dragon meat! Give me a piece!"

These children are all very lively and active, and they are not very well-behaved even when eating. Many of them came out of their homes with their ceramic bowls and gathered together.

The village of Shi is surrounded by lush vegetation and teeming with wild animals. Despite being nestled in the mountains, the villagers' diet is relatively meager, consisting mainly of coarse wheat cakes, wild fruits, and small amounts of meat in the children's bowls.

In fact, food scarcity has always been a serious problem for Stone Village. The mountains are extremely dangerous; the strange beasts and ferocious birds are too powerful and terrifying, and every hunt risks someone losing their life.

If given a choice, the villagers would not want to go into the mountains. Because going into the mountains meant the possibility of bloodshed and sacrifice. Food was extremely precious to them, and they could not tolerate any waste. Every child learned this from a young age: hunger, food, hunting, life, and blood were all interconnected.

At the village entrance is the courtyard of the old clan chief, Shi Yunfeng, built of massive stones and next to a huge, charred willow tree. Inside the courtyard, in front of the stove, white liquid boils in a ceramic pot, emitting a fragrant milky aroma. He is boiling animal milk, occasionally adding herbs and other ingredients while slowly stirring with a wooden spoon.

A short while later, the old man called out, "Little one, come and eat something."

"Uncle Feng, let me handle these things. Please take a rest!"

A handsome young man stepped forward with a smile, took the wooden spoon from the old clan chief Shi Yunfeng, and said with a smile.

"Ziling, these are all minor matters. What I love most is watching the children in our village grow up healthily, especially Hao'er, who is so lively and adorable. Looking at him, I feel like I've become ten years younger!"

Shi Yunfeng looked at the man in front of him and said with a smile.

A look of emotion appeared in Shi Ziling's eyes as he spoke:
"We must thank Uncle Feng for taking in our family of three. If we hadn't been in the village, Hao'er might have died long ago!"

Back then, when he and his wife Qin Yining found the ancestral land of Shi Guo, they saw a village full of middle-aged and elderly people at the Blood Moving Realm and a village chief at the Cave Heaven Realm, and their hearts sank.

If it weren't for the discovery that the spirit willow at the village entrance was quite special, seemingly far surpassing even the Venerable One, we would have almost given up hope.

Later, after learning about his son Shi Hao's situation, Uncle Feng actually had a way to treat Shi Hao's condition where his supreme bone had been removed.

That was an elder named Shi Yuntao who had been lying in the courtyard next door for decades.

It is said that he was of the same generation as the village chief, Shi Yunfeng, and that they went out to gain experience together with other villagers back then.

In the end, only two people returned to the village. Both were seriously injured; one fell from his cultivation level, and the other lay in bed for decades.

Although Shi Yuntao was severely injured and almost impossible to come back to life, he remained on the verge of death, just like the willow tree at the village entrance, whose vitality gradually grew stronger.

The villagers might not know what was going on, but Qin Yining, who came down from the Immortal Mountain in the Upper Realm, and Shi Ziling, who came from the Martial King's Mansion of the Stone Kingdom, knew that it was a special kind of Nirvana.

It can even create a special field within the courtyard. Anyone who stays in that field will be affected by the power of Nirvana, slowly recovering from injuries or regaining vitality.

The old village chief Shi Yunfeng recovered from his injuries under these circumstances, which even helped him advance further in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Originally, Shi Yunfeng had only opened one or two cave heavens in the Cave Heaven Realm, but after recovering from his injuries by Shi Yuntao's side, his foundation became even more profound, and he actually opened two more cave heavens, which was not even his limit.

Afterwards, the able-bodied men in the village who suffered severe injuries while hunting no longer craved precious medicinal herbs. They would recover quickly after lying in Shi Yuntao's room for a few days.

This situation has significantly improved the survival rate of able-bodied men in Shicun.

Moreover, after Shi Yunfeng felt his aptitude had improved, he also chose to let the pregnant women in the village live in Shi Yuntao's courtyard.

Children born in this way often have better aptitude!

When Shi Ziling and his wife brought Shi Hao here, Shi Yunfeng learned through conversation that the two were not bad people. In addition, since they were of the same blood, he revealed this secret.

Shi Hao was placed next to Shi Yuntao to recuperate.

Sure enough, a few days later, Shi Hao, who had been on the verge of death, showed signs of improvement.

Such a change naturally delighted Shi Ziling and his wife. After confirming that their ancestral home could save their child, their original idea of ​​returning to Mount Bulao to seek the sacred medicine gradually faded away.

Qin Yining knew very well what kind of people the clansmen in the Immortal Mountain were like. Otherwise, as the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Mountain in the Upper Realm, why would the Immortal Mountain have disappeared without a trace after she descended to the Lower Realm, and why would it have acted as if it didn't care at all?

It is evident that the shadow of her own kind from the Immortal Mountain was likely behind the crisis she encountered back then. If it weren't for Shi Ziling's rescue, she would have died completely.

Now that there is hope, she naturally won't go to Mount Bulao to walk into a trap.

As the previous Holy Maiden of the Immortal Mountain in the Upper Realm, she was well aware of how important the Immortal Mountain regarded the so-called Supreme Bone. After all, her ancestor Qin Changsheng had encountered a piece of immortal bone, which was why he had reached his current realm.

If the Immortal Mountain were to learn of Hao'er's condition, it's one question whether they would bestow a sacred medicine upon him, but whether they would use Hao'er for experiments is another matter entirely.

As time went by, Shi Hao truly experienced a resurgence, gradually recovering and becoming even more lively than ordinary children.

The Shi Ziling couple were even less likely to leave Shi Village.

In fact, with his mind at ease, after a year of hard work, Shi Hao is almost ready to have a younger brother.

"Eek, whew... I can't run anymore."

A childish voice pulled Shi Ziling back to reality. He saw that Shi Hao, who had been chasing the Five-Colored Sparrow, was already panting heavily and had now sat down on the ground.

"Little one, time to nurse!"

A group of older children started to jeer. (End of Chapter)