Chapter 2: Bone Script

Under the prayers of the chieftain and some of the elders, all the young adults wore solemn expressions as they conducted their worship. Many women and children also hurried over, silently praying for the safe return of their loved ones who had gone hunting.

The mountains were too dangerous. Leaving the village protected by the willow trees meant entering a completely different world, one filled with terrifying raptors and giant beasts.

And so, the strongest group from the village set off, carrying enormous bows and broad swords. They ventured into the expanse of mountains and rivers, immediately encountering a strong aura of wilderness.

As the hunting party left, the elderly chieftain, Stone Yunfeng, led a group of children to the grassy area at the village's edge. They sat down in a circle as he said, "Alright, you little monkeys should start studying seriously."

The children all wore gloomy expressions, looking dispirited. Reluctantly, they sat around, looking like withered leaves.

"Grandfather Chieftain, those bird-like characters and turtle-like symbols are as complex as ghostly runes. They're really difficult to learn. What's the point of memorizing them so diligently?" one child asked.

"Yeah, it's better than learning the archery skills that my father taught me!" another child chimed in.

All the children wore bitter expressions and showed resistance.

"You kids really don't understand. Bone script is a powerful ancient heritage, symbols naturally imprinted onto our bones, carrying mysterious and unfathomable power. Many people wish to learn it, but few succeed. Once you master it, you'll be far stronger than your fathers ever were." The elderly chieftain scolded them, his frustration evident.

"Grandfather Chieftain, could you demonstrate the power of bone script for us?" a slightly older child asked.

"Little Dot, come here." The chieftain called out into the distance.

Little Dot, who had been chasing after a rainbow-colored sparrow, was busy tugging on the tail of a large yellow dog. Confused, he turned his head at the sound of the call, released the dog's tail, and ran over with a bobbing gait. Blinking his bright eyes, he asked, "Yiyaya, what's the matter, Grandfather Chieftain?"

"Use the bone script I taught you," Stone Yunfeng instructed.

"Sure." Little Dot obediently extended his tiny hands, closed his mouth, and began to exert effort. His face turned red as he struggled to exert his strength.

With a buzzing sound, a bright light appeared in the palm of his hand, forming a strange character. It looked as if it had been cast from metal, possessing a metallic luster and texture. Soon, another character appeared in his other hand.

Taking a couple of steps forward, Little Dot lifted a piece of blue stone that was taller than himself.

"Amazing!" the children exclaimed. After all, he was just a little over one year old. How could he lift such a sizable stone?

"Little Dot, did you use up all your strength?" an older child teased.

"Yiyaya, yes, I used up all my strength." Little Dot dropped the blue stone and sat down on the ground, giggling carefreely. His palm's symbols quickly dimmed and disappeared.

"Grandfather Chieftain, is this the mysterious power of bone script you've been studying for over a decade?" The children's eyes gleamed with excitement, a stark contrast to their previous lack of interest.

"Don't get too excited. These symbols can only guide you on the path. They are far inferior to the legendary Heavenly Bone Script." The old man nodded but then shook his head.

"Grandfather Chieftain, could you tell us about the outside world?" The children's expressions were filled with hope.

Everyone in Stone Village knew that the elderly chieftain had once ventured to the distant ends of the earth with a dozen powerful villagers. They had explored the outside world.

However, more than a decade ago, only two people had returned, both covered in blood. One of them had died shortly afterward, leaving only Stone Yunfeng alive.

For these past years, he had been studying the mysterious bone script. He often conducted experiments on the strong individuals in the village. These children were well aware that when their powerful fathers were summoned, they would emit chilling howls from the stone courtyard, causing them to develop both resistance and awe at a young age.

It was only in recent years that the old chieftain's research had eased, making the villagers less afraid. Moreover, the little Dot, nourished by the milk of various beasts and the food of the Bai family, had been adopted by him, becoming the best research subject.

"The outside world..." The old man's expression turned distant as he slipped into memory. He drifted off into a daze before continuing, "The world is vast, boundless. The distance between realms spans millions of miles. Nobody truly knows the extent of its vastness. Even if one were to walk a lifetime, they might not leave a single realm. The wilds are expansive and endless. Communication between human tribes from different regions is difficult due to the perilous journey. The world is teeming with powerful creatures, both fearsome and mysterious. Even tribes with tens of thousands of people or grand cities can be destroyed overnight by ancient creatures. Of course, there are also incredibly powerful humans who rival other species, possessing unmatched strength. They are the paragons of humanity."

The children were filled with awe but also curiosity about the unknown world.

"Are there treasures and elixirs in the mountains and rivers that can transform people overnight? How mighty are the most powerful humans?" One child asked.

The old man chuckled and said, "If you want to know, you'll need to become strong first."

"If we master the mysterious power of bone script, can we venture into various realms of the world?" Some children looked forward with anticipation.

Stone Yunfeng patted a child's head and said, "Don't think about other realms for now. Even within our own realm, it would be extraordinary if someone could cross half of it!"

All the children were in a daze.

"All I can do is guide you onto the path. What you achieve from there depends on you. The knowledge I teach you shouldn't be any worse than what children your age learn outside." The old man's eyes sparkled as he spoke, and he touched a peculiar bone in his embrace.

A group of children sat around the elderly chieftain, finally focusing and listening attentively to his teachings. They didn't disperse until noon.

"It's so difficult. The chieftain actually said that it might take several years for a few people to integrate a bit of bone script into their bodies, and many people might never succeed."

"But Little Dot is so small, and he actually did it."

Little Dot blinked innocently with his big eyes, then went back to tugging on the tail of the large yellow dog, which responded with innocent barks.

As the red sun set, the village was bathed in a golden light from the setting sun. In the distance, monkeys chattered, and tigers roared, but here, the stone houses radiated a sense of serenity and sanctity, like ancient temples.

A group of people appeared on the horizon, their long shadows stretched on the ground by the setting sun. The contours of their bodies were outlined in gold by the evening glow, making them look tall and vigorous. Almost every person was dragging a massive beast, returning home with their haul.

"They're back!" The women and children, who had been waiting at the village entrance for a while, cheered loudly. Their anxieties and worries were instantly lifted, replaced with shouts of joy.

"Dad and the others are back safely!"

"Oh my, there are so many catches. It's truly a rare bountiful harvest!"

This hunting trip had been incredibly successful. Dozens of adult men had made gains, capturing beasts like the iron-skinned Dragonhorn Elephant, the bull-like One-Footed Kui Beast, and the winged Flying Python, which had wings as thick as water buckets.

The village's elders were astonished. These creatures were usually difficult to deal with, and some were considered genuine fierce beasts. Yet, today, they had been hunted down in such quantities, leaving trails of blood. It was truly unexpected.

For example, the Dragonhorn Elephant had skin as tough as iron, and even spears had a hard time piercing it. Its twin horns were sharp as drill bits, capable of easily smashing boulders. The One-Footed Kui Beast roared like thunder; if it got too close, it could shake a person to death. As for the Flying Python with ribs that sprouted giant wings, it was a killer in the mountains and forests, swooping down from mountaintops and striking with terrifying speed.

The catches also included even more formidable creatures like the red Double-Headed Fire Rhinoceros and the impure-blooded Pixiu... these were genuine fierce beasts. Encountering them would typically warrant keeping a wide berth, yet today they had been hunted and killed. It was a striking departure from the norm!

There were even more dangerous creatures among the haul, such as the red Double-Headed Fire Rhinoceros with two heads emitting fire, and the Pixiu with impure blood... these were indeed genuine fierce beasts. Typically, people would steer clear of them, yet they had been hunted and killed today, which was a highly unusual turn of events.

"Today was truly fortunate. We returned with a full load and not a single person was injured," the leader of the hunting party, Stone Linhu, laughed heartily as he explained to the chieftain and the villagers. Over the past few days and nights, a super-giant beast had passed through the mountains, shaking the earth and causing numerous mountain beasts to be trampled or wounded. During the day, they had tracked the injured fierce beasts and killed many of them, creatures that normally required villagers to avoid.

"Some of the enormous footprints in the mountains resemble human footprints, but they are incredibly large, nearly a hundred meters long!"

"That large?!" The villagers gasped. It was truly a shocking piece of news.

Even the village's elders couldn't help but gasp in shock, further confirming that something extraordinary was happening deep within the mountains, attracting various ancient creatures from the wilds.

In any case, this was a major harvest, and the villagers were elated. Laughter and cheers of children filled the village, creating an atmosphere of joy.

Chieftain Stone Yunfeng led the villagers toward the willow tree, carrying dozens of beast corpses to the stone platform. This platform seemed to be an altar, where the bloodied fierce beasts were placed.