Chapter 78: Peril

At night, the medicine cauldron glowed and rumbled, emitting faint sacrificial chants. Various divine birds and mythical beasts materialized on its surface, so lifelike they seemed ready to burst through the bronze walls. The little golden furball, looking miserable, covered its large eyes with one tiny paw before reluctantly biting the other paw to let two drops of golden blood fall into the cauldron. Then… it shrieked as if its arm had been severed, hopping back onto Little Rascal’s shoulder while covering one eye to peek. The onlookers couldn’t help but laugh—this fist-sized golden ball was mischievous and lively, always amusing.

The cauldron glowed even brighter, growing more mysterious as it refined the precious medicine. A rich fragrance filled the air, accompanied by radiant beams of auspicious light, creating a breathtaking and mystical scene.

“Qingfeng, don’t be nervous. Reconnecting your severed tendons will definitely succeed. With these precious medicines, your bones and tendons will regenerate,” Little Rascal reassured.

The process was agonizing. The scars on Qingfeng’s feet were reopened, blood flowing freely as he screamed in pain, tears streaming down his face. Yet he didn’t struggle. Shi Feijiao helped apply the precious medicine.

“The bones and tendons are aligned properly. With this rare medicine, they’ll surely regrow. Don’t worry!” the clan leader comforted.

The entire cauldron of medicine was reserved for Qingfeng. Some was applied to his feet, and the rest was ingested. Over the next few days, his feet itched as his tendons and bones regenerated and reconnected.

“Truly worthy of the Zhu Yan’s blood!” an elder marveled.

In just a few days, Qingfeng’s shattered tendons and bones had reconnected. With some rest, he would fully recover. The villagers cast curious glances at the furball, which immediately shrieked, rolling around on Little Rascal’s shoulder before waving its tiny paws frantically—*Never ask me to do this again! I’d rather die!*

Aside from the medicine, Little Rascal also treated Qingfeng daily with glyphs. Half a month later, Qingfeng had fully recovered, his tendons and bones healed.

“The medicine is truly miraculous, healing him so quickly!” the villagers marveled, unaware that Little Rascal’s mastery of the *Primordial True Record* had played a crucial role.

In the following days, a small figure appeared by the lake, training alongside the children. To everyone’s surprise, despite his frail body, he also understood bone inscriptions—not as profound as Little Rascal’s, but still impressive.

As the old clan leader put it, “He’s a genius. His body was just holding him back before.”

After some time, Qingfeng regained his health, his pale cheeks turning rosy. He ran wild with the Stone Village children, his stamina fully restored.

Meanwhile, Little Rascal ventured deep into the mountains daily, refining his understanding of the *Primordial True Record* through battles with fierce beasts.

The next realm, *”Dongtian”* (Cave Heaven), was crucial for cultivators. The deeper one’s foundation in the *Blood-Moving Realm*, the more terrifying their breakthrough would be. Little Rascal was accumulating strength, hoping for a stunning performance.

One evening, as the sky burned crimson, Er Meng’s excited shouts drew the villagers’ attention. He was riding a unicorn, speeding around the lake, his face pale with fear.

“It’s not the one Little Rascal tamed! It’s another unicorn! Er Meng’s really grown bold, trying to tame a treasure steed!” the adults exclaimed in awe.

Er Meng, on the verge of tears, cried, “Who said I was taming it? I was feeding Little White some berries when this one came over! It wasn’t scared of me, so I hopped on… and then it went crazy!”

The villagers burst into laughter.

Recently, Little White had rejoined the herd, freely entering and leaving the village. The unicorns’ wariness had lessened, and a few even approached for treats.

As Little Rascal had predicted, the herd was gradually accepting the villagers—soon, they’d all become rideable steeds.

“Er Meng, hold on! If it’s not attacking you, it must be friendly. Don’t embarrass yourself by falling!” Shi Linhu shouted.

After dozens of laps around the lake, the unicorn finally stopped, rearing up and tossing Er Meng to the ground before trotting back to the herd.

“A good sign! That unicorn was clearly playing with the kids. It’ll integrate into our village soon,” Clan Leader Shi Yunfeng observed with a smile.

The men, however, were envious, itching to get their own steeds.

In the following days, the unicorns grew even more relaxed, allowing the children to ride them around the lake. The adults could only watch in frustration—their larger builds made it harder to earn the unicorns’ trust.

The elders smiled, envisioning a future where Stone Village tamed dozens of unicorns—a feat even powerful tribes struggled to achieve.

Half a month later, over a dozen children had successfully tamed unicorns, riding them with the promise of ample berries.

“Little Rascal, let’s race! See whose unicorn is faster!” Pi Hou and the others teased.

“I should be training,” Little Rascal said.

“Come on! Training every day is boring. Let’s hunt some beasts—that’s training too! We’ll roast them tonight!” a bigger boy urged.

“Fine,” Little Rascal agreed.

The adults watched enviously as their children rode off on the unicorns.

“Da Zhuang, tame one for me soon, or I’ll skin you!” Da Zhuang’s father grumbled.

Shi Linhu added, “Hu Zi, you hear me? Don’t just show off—let me ride too, or you’ll regret it!”

The villagers laughed—fathers jealous of their sons!

The elders, however, were overjoyed. Stone Village was growing stronger, perhaps even reclaiming its ancient glory.

With Little Rascal leading, the group ventured into the mountains. The unicorns’ silver hooves flashed like divine arrows as they raced hundreds of miles in moments.

“Let’s hunt!” Hu Zi suggested.

Arrows flew, stirring roars from the beasts. Soon, the children fled in panic, chased by a monstrous creature—a spiked beast with a draconic head, spewing fire that melted a mountaintop.

Little Rascal stayed behind to protect the stragglers. Fortunately, the beast was slow, and they escaped.

“My god! I thought I was a hero riding a unicorn, but I’m still just a cub needing training!” one boy gasped.

“You crossed 30,000 miles alone? That’s terrifying!” they marveled at Little Rascal.

“Where are we now? About 600 miles from the village?” Er Meng wondered.

Hu Zi scoffed, “That’s not smoke—it’s a fire!”

Riding to the hilltop, they saw a burning village—200 households aflame, no cries for help, only deathly silence.

A massive figure retreated in the distance, surrounded by riders wielding bloody blades.

“Who are they? Why destroy a village?” the children shuddered.

Entering the ruins, they found corpses everywhere—elders beheaded, infants slaughtered with their mothers.

“Even the elderly and children… How could anyone be so cruel?” they raged, some weeping.

The village’s guardian beast—a lion-like creature with eight legs—lay dead, half-eaten, its primal bone gone.

A dying elder gasped, “They… demanded black gold… We couldn’t pay… so they slaughtered us all…”

With his last breath, the old man’s tears mixed with blood.

The children returned to Stone Village, hearts heavy.

“Could it be… them? The crisis has come,” the clan leader murmured, recalling his past—when only he survived an expedition.

“Who are they, Grandfather? What do they want?” Little Rascal asked.

“A terrifying group… searching for a Supreme Divine Treasure,” the elder sighed, gazing into the distance with deep worry.