svetikya Chapter 21, Seven Caves, Treasures
Chapter 21, Seven Caves, Treasures
"call out!"
Just as Shi Zhao was about to turn and leave, a gust of wind suddenly swept towards her throat.
The arrow gleamed coldly; it was a thick, long iron arrow, capable of piercing even the scales of a dragon or elephant. In this deep mountain forest, such a cold arrow was virtually impossible to defend against.
The next moment, a slender, white hand suddenly grabbed the arrow.
Only then did a sharp whistling sound come, the sound of an arrow shaft cutting through the air, but then with a boom, the arrow was thrown back at an even faster speed.
"boom--!"
The iron arrow pierced into a distant rock and exploded, revealing a boy holding a bow, who looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old. The ruthlessness and anger in his eyes were instantly replaced by fear.
Shi Zhao shook her head. She had originally intended to only punish the ringleaders and not to involve ordinary people, since she was not someone who would kill indiscriminately.
Without the sacrificial spirit, the Wolf Village can only keep a low profile. Besides, the Great Wilderness Disaster will break out soon, causing bloodshed for thousands of miles, so there is no need to dirty their hands.
But she didn't expect someone to actually come looking for death, so she naturally wouldn't show any mercy.
"You...it's you? Why did you kill my clan's sacrificial spirit?!" Bei Feng's face turned red with excitement, his eyes filled with rage.
He recognized the girl; he had passed through the wolf village a few months earlier and was immediately awestruck by her beauty.
"My surname is Shi," Shi Zhao said calmly.
Bei Feng was struck dumb, and instantly understood why. He then let out a low growl and began to fire his bow wildly.
Unfortunately, the gap in strength between the two sides was too great, and all their efforts were in vain.
"Commendable courage." Shi Zhao pointed a finger and finished him off.
Only then did she remember that the old wolf seemed to have also refined a treasure, which, although not very useful, would have been good to give to Xiao Shi to play with, but it was destroyed directly.
"Since we're already here, we can't leave empty-handed. We might as well go and see how that old Suanni is doing." She murmured to herself, her big eyes darting towards the deep mountains.
In an instant, she disappeared from her spot with a single step, her figure as light and graceful as a peacock dancing in the air.
Deep in the mountains, an old lion-like creature roared and struggled from time to time.
This is a terrifying ancient remnant species. Even if it cannot truly be called king, it is close. However, it is indeed very old and its lifespan is coming to an end. It does not even have the strength to make a final desperate attempt to break through.
It slowly emerged from the mountains deep in the wilderness, wanting to choose a place to be buried.
Shi Zhao stood on a mountain peak, his large eyes sparkling with starlight, and he saw the old Suanni in the distance, its body radiating a golden glow.
It resembles a divine lion, is over six meters long, has golden dragon horns on its head, and its forehead is covered with golden scales. Its entire body is dazzling, and its fur is even brighter than golden silk.
Although not purebred, it still reigns supreme in the depths of the mountains.
"Beyond the Spirit Transformation Realm, it's really going to die of old age." Shi Zhao only glanced at it from afar. This old Suanni still had some strength left, so there was no need to confront it now.
Her cultivation level was still too low, so even though she possessed a magical artifact, she couldn't exert much power.
On the way back, they unexpectedly encountered a leopard-like beast that resembled a mythical beast. It was quite powerful, and they had to use the Bixie technique to kill it.
Since she was already there, she also borrowed some animal milk from some ferocious beasts who couldn't sleep at night, making sure she didn't leave empty-handed.
More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Stone Village remained peaceful. After losing the protection of the sacrificial spirit, the neighboring Wolf Village dared not provoke Stone Village anymore.
But the depths of the mountains were not peaceful; the roars of beasts could be heard from time to time, shaking the mountains and affecting the surrounding areas.
As a result, villagers no longer needed to risk venturing deep into the mountains and marshes to hunt; a casual stroll through the mountains would often yield the remains of a gruesomely killed giant beast.
"This is a good thing, but it also indicates that the deep mountains are becoming increasingly dangerous, and it must be related to that old Suanni," an elder said.
"If we could obtain its remains, extract its true blood, and even copy the original treasure runes from its bones, it would be like unlocking a treasure trove!"
The villagers were very envious and couldn't wait to find it and obtain this great treasure.
"We must not act rashly; we can only wait patiently," the clan chief solemnly warned, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the girl sitting cross-legged under the charred willow tree.
A gentle breeze stirred her hair, and the only willow branch swayed in the wind, resting on the girl's shoulder.
"Eek, my sister is glowing!" Little Stone blinked his big eyes, a little confused.
Shi Zhao hasn't been teaching for the past two days because she's preparing for a breakthrough.
The accumulation was already sufficient, and opening up the seventh cave was merely a natural progression.
That night, starlight shone down, and rosy clouds rose at the village entrance, auspicious colors shimmering. Shi Zhao successfully broke through, without any surprises, and his seventh cave heaven opened.
The "magma" inside the crater rolled down and flowed into her body.
"She's only ten years old, yet she's already opened up seven grotto-heavens?!" Clan Chief Shi Yunfeng was dumbfounded, realizing for the first time the girl's true strength.
Even ignoring age and just talking about the Seven Caves Heaven, it is already an extraordinary achievement.
"Seven grotto-heavens, is that amazing?" Xiao Shi asked, tilting his head.
"Of course it's very powerful." The clan leader sighed softly and said, "You know, most people can prepare to break through to the next major realm after opening up four or five cave heavens."
"Those who can open up six grotto-heavens are already considered among the best in this realm; as for those who open up seven grotto-heavens, they must be rare geniuses; those who open up eight grotto-heavens are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; and those who open up nine grotto-heavens are merely legends in ancient books!"
Shi Yunfeng didn't want to discuss these things with Xiao Shihao so early, but seeing the girl break through right in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Hey, it looks like there's something hidden in those caves?" Xiao Shi had a sharp eye and stared at the caves floating around his older sister. He actually managed to spot something interesting.
"Why is there a big gray turtle? Oh, it's just a turtle shell!"
"And there's a huge purple hammer. If someone were hit with that, they'd be covered in bruises!"
"That silver cauldron makes especially delicious animal milk!" The little guy's mouth was practically watering as he spoke.
He vividly remembered the animal milk his sister had brought back last time!
These are all treasures possessed by Shi Zhao. The gray tortoise shell is a Xuan Turtle Shield, bestowed upon him by his clan for protection. The purple hammer seems out of place; it is actually the weapon of his fourth grandfather. The silver cauldron is naturally the royal cauldron.
In addition, there were two other caves containing treasures, but he couldn't see them clearly. He could only vaguely make out a roc and a large golden tiger appearing and disappearing.
"Don't tell anyone what you saw. These are your sister's trump cards." The old patriarch's expression changed slightly as he repeatedly warned Xiao Shi.
"Mmm!" Xiao Shi covered his mouth and nodded very seriously.
Just then, Shi Zhao opened his eyes, like two beams of starlight illuminating the night, making the entire village entrance shine brightly, dazzling and mesmerizing.
The seven grottoes gradually receded and disappeared into the void. The fluctuations on her body also receded like the tide, slowly calming down and becoming peaceful and approachable.
Shi Zhao stood up, his starry eyes clear and bright, calm and serene, and said with a faint smile, "The treasures are good, but these are not my trump cards, so there's no need to be nervous."
She glanced discreetly at the palm of her left hand; the seven tiny red moles seemed to have undergone some change, and were now beginning to show their extraordinary nature.