Under the prayers of the clan leader and some elders, all the young and strong men showed solemn expressions and performed the rites. Many women and children also hurried over to silently pray, wishing for the safe return of their relatives who went hunting.
The mountains were extremely dangerous. Leaving the village protected by the willow wood meant entering a completely different world outside, a place filled with terrifying raptors and giant beasts.
Thus, the strongest group in the village, carrying huge bows and broad swords, set out, walking into the mountains and great lakes, and momentarily after, a breath of the great desolate area came rushing at them.
Watching the hunting party depart, the old clan leader Shi Yunfeng led a group of children to the grassy area at the village entrance, sat down cross-legged, and said, "Alright, you little monkeys should study hard now."
A group of children immediately showed gloomy faces, sitting around listlessly and unwillingly, like dried leaves.
"Clan leader grandpa, those bird-like characters and turtle-like symbols are as complicated as hobgoblin symbols; they're really hard to learn, why memorize them?"
"That's right, wouldn't it be more useful to learn the archery my dad taught me!"
The group of children all had bitter expressions, quite resistant.
"You kids really don't understand the importance of these things. Bone Texts are symbols that naturally manifest on the bones of the powerful Primordial Species, containing mysterious and unfathomable power. Many people long to learn them but have no way. Once mastered, you'll be countless times stronger than your fathers." The old clan leader scolded them, frustrated by their attitudes.
"Clan leader grandpa, could you demonstrate the power of Bone Texts for us?" A slightly older child suggested.
"Little Tot, come over here." The clan leader shouted towards the distance.
Little Tot, who was tugging the tail of a big yellow dog after chasing a Five-colored Sparrow, turned around in confusion upon hearing the call, then released his grip and ran over cheerfully, blinking his bright big eyes, and said, "Hey, clan leader grandpa, what's up?"
"Show them the Bone Text I taught you." Shi Yunfeng said.
"Okay." Little Tot obeyed, extending two small hands, keeping his mouth shut, fully concentrating his efforts, his little face flushed red.
With a buzzing sound, a patch of light appeared in his palm, revealing a strange text, seemingly forged with metal, having a metallic luster and texture, soon appearing on the other hand as well.
Little Tot stepped forward a couple of steps, lifting a piece of limestone taller than himself.
"That's amazing!" The group of children exclaimed in astonishment. How could such a young child lift such a large stone?
"Little Tot, did you use all the strength you could muster?" an older child teased him.
"Yes, I used up all my strength." Little Tot dropped the limestone and sat on the ground, laughing heartily, a pure joy, while the symbols in his palms quickly dimmed and disappeared.
"Clan leader grandpa, is this the mysterious power of Bone Text you've researched for over a decade?" All the children had eyes shining with interest, unlike a moment ago when they showed no enthusiasm.
"Don't get too excited. These can only start you on the path, far from the Heavenly Bone Texts found in ancient legends." The old man nodded with satisfaction yet shook his head at their enthusiasm.
"Clan leader grandpa, tell us about the world outside." The children displayed hopeful expressions.
Everyone in Stone Village knew that when the old clan leader was young, he ventured to the ends of the earth with over a dozen powerful clansmen.
But over a decade ago, only two returned covered in blood, and one soon died, leaving only Shi Yunfeng as the survivor.
Over the years, he studied the mysterious Bone Texts continuously, occasionally experimenting on those with strong physiques in the village. The children knew well that those robust as Shi Linhu would emit heart-wrenching cries when summoned to Shi Courtyard, which instilled early resistance and reverence in their hearts.
Only in recent years did the old clan leader's research ease up, no longer terrifying the villagers as much. Moreover, Little Tot, who grew up drinking the milk of various beasts and eating meals from multiple families, was adopted by him as the best research candidate.
"The outside world..." The old man showed a reflective expression, lost in thought, and sighing before saying, "The world is vast, boundless. It takes millions of miles to travel from one domain to another. No one knows how truly vast it is. A person walking for a lifetime couldn't even traverse one domain in the great desolate area. Communication between human races in different regions is difficult due to extreme dangers. The earth is home to many powerful species, fearsome and mysterious. Even tribes with hundreds of thousands of people or grand cities may be destroyed overnight by a few Primordial Ancients. Of course, there are also unimaginably strong humans, rivaling other species' absolute combat prowess. These can be called 'the pride of the human race.'
The children felt a sense of awe but with yearning curiosity for the unknown world. Someone asked, "Are there treasures and Immortal Elixirs among the land and mountains that can transform a person overnight? What level of might does the pride of the human race possess?"
The old man laughed and said, "If you want to know, first make yourself strong."
"If we master the mysterious power of Bone Texts, can we explore the domains of the world?" Some of the children showed longing expressions.
Shi Yunfeng patted a child's head and said, "Don't talk about other domains, just traversing half of our own domain would be extraordinary for anyone!"
All the children were stunned.
"What I can do is only guide you onto the path. Where you end up later depends on yourselves. What I teach you shouldn't be any less than what children of the same age learn outside." The old man said, his eyes revealing a strange light as he touched a peculiar jade bone he held.
The group of children sat around the old clan leader, finally focusing, and began listening intently to the teachings, only dispersing when noon arrived.
"It's too difficult! The clan leader said that only a few might integrate a little of the Bone Text within their bodies after years, while most may never succeed."
"But Little Tot is only as tiny as a bean sprout, and he actually did it."
Little Tot innocently blinked his big eyes and then went back to tugging at the big yellow dog's tail again, and the dog, even more innocent, barked in response.
The red sun sank westward, as the sunset's remaining rays cast a layer of faint golden light over the entire Stone Village. The distant cries of apes and roars of tigers echoed, while here, the numerous stone houses appeared as ancient divine temples, sacred and peaceful.
Dozens of people appeared on the horizon, their shadows elongated by the setting sun, their silhouettes edged with golden light from the twilight, looking immensely tall and robust, and nearly every one of them dragged a giant beast behind them, returning laden with spoils.
"They're back!" A group of women and children waiting at the village entrance shouted with joy, their anxiety and fear fading instantly, and began calling out loudly.
"Dad and the others are back safely!"
"Oh my, there are so many prey; it's a rare bumper harvest indeed!"
The hunt this time was very successful. Every one of the dozens of adult men had something to show for it. The prey included the massive Dragon Horned Elephant, the bull-like Kui beast, and the winged Flying Pythons as thick as water barrels...
The elders in the village showed astonishment. These creatures are usually difficult to handle, some qualified as Ferocious Beasts, but today so many were hunted, bloodstained and unexpected.
For instance, the Dragon Horned Elephant's hide is as hard as iron, making it difficult for an Iron Spear to pierce through. Its Dragon Horns are sharp like drill bits, easily smashing boulders. As for the Kui beast, its thunderous sound could kill someone if heard from close up. Meanwhile, the Flying Pythons with giant wings were forest assassins capable of sudden attacks from a mountaintop.
Among the prey were even fiercer creatures such as the entirely crimson Two-Headed Flame Rhinoceros and the impure-blooded Pi Xiu... These were bona fide Ferocious Beasts, and when discovered, it was better to steer clear, but now, they were hunted, defying normal expectations!
"This time we were genuinely fortunate, returning fully laden without a single injury." The head of the hunting party, Shi Linhu, laughed heartily, explaining to the clan leader and villagers. These past nights, a massive beast passed through the mountains, causing earthquakes, crushing and injuring many mountain beasts. During the day, they tracked the beast, killing many severely injured Ferocious Beasts, creatures the villagers usually needed to avoid.
"Some of the footprints in the mountains were human-shaped but impossibly large, nearly a hundred meters long!"
"That huge?!" Villagers exclaimed, shocked by this truly frightening news.
Even the village elders, upon hearing this, couldn't help but gasp, increasingly convinced that unusual events in the depths of the mountains drew some Primordial Ancients near the great desolate area.
No matter how you look at it, this was a significant harvest, filling the clan with joy. Stone Village rang with the laughter of children, creating a joyful atmosphere.
The clan leader Shi Yunfeng led the crowd towards the willow wood, carrying dozens of beast carcasses once they arrived, placing all the bloodstained Ferocious Beasts on a stone platform, clearly a large altar.