Prologue, the Great Wilderness
At dawn, a ten-meter-long, bucket-thick centipede, shimmering with silver light, slithered through the mountains, as if cast from pure silver. Each segment gleamed brightly and menacingly, clanging against the rocks as it passed, sending sparks flying. Yet, in the end, it avoided the stone village, not intruding upon it. Wherever it went, dark mist surged, and all beasts retreated.
The night is deep, shrouded in darkness, rendering the scenery invisible. Yet, the mountains are not tranquil; fierce beasts roar, shaking the mountains and rivers, causing countless trees to tremble, and leaves to fall in disarray.
A fierce and menacing bird call echoed from the high heavens, piercing through the golden cracks in the stone, emanating from that dark cloud. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an enormous bird of unimaginable size, obscuring the sky and the moon, its length unknown, stretching for miles.
In the mountains, a soft light can be seen flickering in the distance, resembling a candle flame swaying amidst the endless darkness of the night and the myriad peaks, ready to extinguish at any moment
It approached, revealing a humanoid creature that walked upright, astonishingly large, towering over the mountains. Its body was devoid of hair, covered entirely in shimmering golden scales. The face was flat, featuring a single vertical eye that opened and closed like a streak of golden lightning, sharp and intimidating. The overall aura was as vast as the sea, resembling a deity or demon.
...
A gust of fierce wind swept through, and a massive dark cloud loomed overhead, obscuring the entire night sky and blocking the scant starlight. The mountains grew even darker.
It had been calm for a long time, until the latter half of the night, when the earth began to tremble, and a blurred figure resembling a book emerged from the distance, towering alongside the mountains!
To be precise, this is a lightning-struck tree, which encountered a tremendous bolt of lightning many years ago, destroying the massive crown and vibrant life of the old willow tree. Now, only a section of the stump remains, standing about 8 to 9 meters high, astonishingly thick, while the solitary willow branch, resembling a chain of green mist, radiates a halo that envelops and protects the entire village, rendering this habitat hazy and ethereal, akin to a fairyland, appearing quite mysterious in this vast wilderness. Now, only a section of the stump remains, standing about 8 to 9 meters high, astonishingly thick, while the solitary willow branch, resembling a chain of green mist, radiates a halo that envelops and protects the entire village, rendering this habitat hazy and ethereal, akin to a fairyland, appearing quite mysterious in this vast wilderness.
In the village, each household is made of stone houses. In the deep of night, it is peaceful and tranquil here, as if it is isolated from the darkness of the outside world and the roars of beasts.
Amidst the myriad mountains and ravines, ferocious beasts roam freely, ancient species emerge and disappear, and various terrifying sounds rise and fall in the darkness, as if they are about to rend the heavens and the earth apart
A delicate willow branch, emanating a soft green glow, gently sways in the wind
Gradually approaching, one can see a massive half-burnt tree trunk, with a diameter of over ten meters, entirely charred black. Aside from the half trunk, it has only one frail branch left, yet it exudes vitality, with leaves as translucent as jade, softly glowing and spreading a gentle light that envelops a village
It passed through this place, glanced at the old willow tree, paused briefly, and seemed eager to continue on its journey, ultimately departing swiftly. Many peaks trembled with the roar of its footsteps, and the mountains shook violently
An inexplicable aura emanates, and the mountains and valleys are enveloped in a deathly silence, with fierce birds and beasts lying in wait, not daring to make a sound
Passing by Shicun, it overlooks below, its two eyes resembling two blood moons, exuding a fierce aura, staring at the old willow for a moment, before ultimately flying towards the deepest part of the mountains