In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

As night fades and dawn breaks, the morning light filters through the trees and leaves of the mountains, illuminating the village of Qingshi and gradually awakening the entire village.

The villagers were busy from early morning. They had replenished their supplies yesterday thanks to the Fire Wolf leader's body, and were grateful for Shi Geng's life-saving grace. Joy permeated the village. Many elders went early to the back mountain of the village, where a giant blue stone stands, which is the sacred spirit worshipped by the Qing Shi Village for generations.

This giant rock is rooted in the earth, several meters high, and is dark blue-black in color. Its surface is covered with patterns left by time, and its body exudes a faint ancient charm.

Since the tribe settled here, their ancestors have worshipped the stone spirit here, praying for the protection of the tribe and the success of their hunts. Over time, the large blue stone has become the foundation of the entire village's faith.

In the past, the tribe would only hold a spirit-worshiping ceremony when disaster struck or during a major festival. Today, the chieftain wanted to use the spirit-worshiping ceremony to pray for blessings and also wanted Shih-heng to witness the tribe's heritage, so he came to invite him.

"Young friend, how about we go to the back mountain for a look? That is the spirit that our clan has worshipped for generations. Today is an auspicious day, and we are preparing to begin the spirit worship ceremony."

Upon hearing this, Shi Geng nodded slightly and, along with Xiao Bai, followed the others to the back mountain.

Upon reaching a flat area in the mountains, a majestic large blue stone suddenly comes into view. The boulder has endured wind and rain, exuding a heavy and ancient aura. The surrounding ground has been worn smooth and clean by years of footsteps. Many villagers have already gathered here, their expressions solemn and respectful.

Several white-haired elders from the tribe, holding specially prepared spiritual herbs and beast blood, stood before the boulder. As a deep, ancient chant began, the sacrificial ceremony officially commenced.

Beast blood was slowly smeared onto the patterns of the bluestone, and the spiritual herbs were placed on the stone platform in front of the stone. Ancient and obscure incantations echoed through the mountains.

A faint gray light slowly emanated from inside the boulder, and wisps of warm energy drifted around, flowing into the bodies of every villager present.

Everyone felt their fatigue dissipate, their muscles and bones feel warm, and the hidden injuries left by the hunting over the past few days have been relieved. One by one, they showed piety and bowed down to the large blue stone in worship.

Shi Geng stood quietly to the side, observing, a faint golden light flickering in his eyes. He could clearly sense that this giant rock was no ordinary object; it had absorbed the energy of the mountains and rivers over countless years, giving birth to a faint spirituality.

All things can possess spirit, and the worship of spirits in the world is not limited to powerful creatures. All living things in heaven and earth, stubborn rocks in mountains and rivers, ancient trees and grasses, as long as they absorb the essence of the sun and moon and are imbued with the spiritual energy of time, can be born with intelligence and become a local spirit.

They are all different in terms of natural talent and combat strength. Some are powerful and influential in the wilderness, while others are firmly guarding a corner and providing safe protection.

The sacred stone in front of us in Qing Shi Village is a piece of blue stone that has been baptized by countless ages and is imbued with spiritual power. It has a profound foundation and remarkable cultivation.

However, it is inherently bound by its characteristics. Its spiritual essence is closely integrated with the entire village and mountains, and it is bound by geographical constraints from birth. Its power can only be used to guard the peace of Qing Shi Village.

"Young friend, this is the sacred spirit of our Qing Shi Village, which has protected the entire village for generations."

The village chief of Qingshi Village looked at the ancient and vigorous giant bluestone, his tone full of piety and respect.

The surface of the boulder is crisscrossed with grooves and ancient lines etched by time. A faint, warm light flows slowly around it, without any hint of ferocity, only exuding a calm and dignified aura.

Shi Geng nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the giant blue stone. He could clearly sense the pure power flowing within the stone. It wasn't earth-shattering, but it was steady, enduring, and had a solid foundation.

While such power is insufficient to contend with those powerful ferocious beasts, it is more than enough to guard a village, resist the invasion of ordinary ferocious beasts, and resolve some common disasters and calamities, ensuring that the entire village can live in peace.

Then Shi Geng quietly observed the sacrificial ceremony in Qing Shi Village. The entire ritual was orderly and solemn, not much different from the sacrificial ceremonies in Shi Village in the past.

The crowd took turns stepping forward to burn incense and offer sacrifices, reciting hymns to express their gratitude for the protection of the spirits, and bowing deeply in a grand ceremony of worship. Each step of the process was performed in a solemn and orderly manner.

After the entire sacrificial ceremony was completed, the setting sun disappeared completely on the horizon, and night quietly enveloped the vast wilderness, quickly shrouding the world in a deep darkness.

As the sacrificial ceremony concluded, the villagers gradually dispersed and returned home. The spiritual light on the giant bluestone at the village entrance slowly faded into the stone, returning to silence, leaving only a faint, peaceful aura lingering in all directions.

The village chief extended a warm invitation and led Shi Geng to his home in the village. Along the way, every household was lit up with firefly-like lights, and wisps of smoke rose from their chimneys, creating a rustic and charming atmosphere reminiscent of a mountain village.

During our casual conversation, everyone talked about how the people of Qingshi Village had lived peacefully for generations by worshipping spirits, rarely encountering any major disasters. Although their lives were simple and frugal, they were also peaceful and stable.

After resting peacefully in Qingshi Village for two days to recharge and familiarize himself with the surrounding roads, Shi Geng decided to set off to continue his adventures in the wilderness.

On the day of departure, the entire village, young and old, came to the village entrance to see them off, their faces filled with reluctance and gratitude. The village chief personally handed over the prepared dry rations and wild fruits, repeatedly reminding them to be careful on the perilous journey.

The giant blue stone trembled slightly, and a gentle breeze blew by, as if the guardian spirit of the land was also quietly bidding farewell.

Shi Geng bowed slightly in thanks, bid farewell to the group of simple and honest villagers, turned around and stepped out of the territory of Qing Shi Village, his figure stepping into the vast mountain forest.

After a brief rest in Qingshi Village, all his fatigue dissipated, and Shi Geng once again set off on his journey through the Great Wilderness with renewed vigor.

They traversed mountains and valleys, encountering several waves of ferocious birds and beasts that blocked their path and fought fiercely. After several intense battles, their newly changed clothes were torn to shreds by sharp claws and fangs, with tears and rips everywhere.

He simply stopped caring about his appearance, casually killed a powerful and ferocious beast, and skillfully peeled off its thick and tough hide. After a simple cleaning, he draped it over his body, replacing his tattered clothes.

Wrapped in rough animal hides, walking through the wild mountains and fields, they seemed to fit the untamed spirit of the wilderness all the more.

Along the way, Shi Geng slew many ferocious beasts and also collected a lot of precious bones from their bodies. However, these precious bones were generally of low quality, and most of the inscriptions on them were just ordinary magical techniques. Some even had incomplete patterns and were already damaged.

Even though it was of low rank and incomplete, Shi Geng did not despise it. He studied the precious techniques remaining in the precious bone, absorbed all the usable methods, and continuously improved his own skills and enriched his combat experience.

After thoroughly understanding its essence and finding nothing of value in it, he casually discarded the discarded precious bone in the wilderness, packed lightly, and continued on his journey.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Relying on his strong mental state, Shi Geng avoided countless hidden dangers along the way, but he also faced desperate situations and was on the verge of life and death several times.

During his journey, he suffered several serious injuries, including wounds from fierce battles with ferocious beasts and injuries from fights with human cultivators. He nearly collapsed in the wild and dangerous lands on several occasions.

But he was resilient and persevered through all the hardships, breaking free from one dead end after another.

He traveled alone across the vast wilderness for 300,000 miles, fighting his way through countless battles. He was tempered by blood and fire amidst the clash of swords and claws, and his killing aura became increasingly fierce and intimidating. Although his cultivation level was still stuck at the Blood Moving Realm, his combat power steadily transformed in the endless blood battles, becoming more and more formidable.