Super Combat Soldier

Chapter 836: Chapter 835: [The Legend of Desolate Stone Village 100,000 Years Ago]

Facing the wild boar that suddenly emerged, Little Shitou turned and ran quickly. Even though he fell to the ground and saw the enormous boar’s tusks thrusting towards him, he had no power to retaliate. However, his eyes were full of determination, and he never showed any trace of fear, which left Ye Tianchen a bit incredulous.

A child only five years old, when faced with a wild boar over two meters tall with tusks that could shatter solid rocks, remained so calm as if he had completely accepted life and death. He didn’t even frown. How could one not be impressed?

Ye Tianchen certainly wouldn’t sit idly by. He felt as though the villagers of Desolate Stone Village were his own family. Every person here was warm-hearted, simple, and kind, a group worth interacting with. Little Shitou’s maturity also moved Ye Tianchen. When the large boar charged at Little Shitou, ready to pierce his chest with its tusks, Ye Tianchen intervened, sending the boar flying with one punch, leaving it knocked out on the ground.

”Big brother, you’re so powerful... Is this the power of martial arts?” Little Shitou couldn’t help but ask in amazement.

”That’s right. Do you want to cultivate? I can teach you!” Ye Tianchen nodded seriously and said.

”Really, you can really teach me?” Little Shitou asked, still somewhat in disbelief.

”Of course, why would I lie to you?” Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

Hearing Ye Tianchen’s words, Little Shitou was so happy he jumped up, cheering loudly, and couldn’t help but look at the majestic mountains in the distance and shout, ”Father, Mother, I can cultivate now. Big brother is willing to teach me the cultivation method. When I’ve succeeded, I’ll come to find you!”

Children are pure, kind, with simple hearts that can move people. Seeing Little Shitou’s happy demeanor, Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but resolve in his heart to teach Little Shitou the cultivation method, not letting him lose even a sliver of hope. This would be too cruel for a child; if one loses hope, what meaning is there to life?

”Big brother, I have another request, I don’t know if...” Little Shitou looked at Ye Tianchen, somewhat embarrassed, and asked.

”What is it? Speak up!” Ye Tianchen said with a smile on his face.

”Our Desolate Stone Village has a few other children like me; they’ve either lost their parents, or they’re the only family left... could you...” Little Shitou looked at Ye Tianchen with a bit of embarrassment and asked.

Ye Tianchen glanced at Little Shitou. This was a very kind child. He wasn’t just thinking about himself but also about his companions. Understanding how to share is a true expression of kindness.

”Big brother, is it possible?” Seeing that Ye Tianchen hadn’t immediately agreed, Little Shitou thought Ye Tianchen disagreed, quickly asking in a low voice.

”After dark, at the place of the scattered steles behind the village, I’ll be waiting for you there. You can bring along all your little companions!” After saying this, Ye Tianchen left.

By the time Little Shitou happily reacted, Ye Tianchen had disappeared. However, he was truly delighted because being able to cultivate meant he had the chance to train himself and search for his parents. It also meant that other companions who had lost family members wouldn’t feel so lonely or sad anymore.

Ye Tianchen returned to Desolate Stone Village, and the first thing he did was find the old village chief, Grandpa Shi, because he suddenly thought of something he wanted to verify. According to Grandpa Shi, all the people in Desolate Stone Village have a mysterious bloodline power. When a new bloodline power is born, it means that either the father or mother will die, or even both parents. This bloodline power is too strange, too mysterious, compelling one to figure it out.

The key issue is, with such a bloodline legacy, shouldn’t the villagers of Desolate Stone Village have died out long ago? How can there still be people surviving after so many years of evolution? The birth of one person means the death of two. With this exchange, the people of Desolate Stone Village should have all died out long ago. There must be some hidden secrets, some untold stories.

When Ye Tianchen found the old village chief, he discovered that the old village chief was actually at the Chaotic Stone Tablet behind the mountain, sitting dazed on a stele, seemingly deep in thought. Even when Ye Tianchen stood in front of him, the old village chief didn’t react until Ye Tianchen spoke.

”Grandpa Shi, I think these seemingly ordinary steles must have extraordinary stories behind them?” Ye Tianchen stood beside the old village chief, looking at the steles towering there, and said.

”I knew you would come to me. Do you really intend to teach Little Shitou and the others the cultivation path?” The old village chief looked at Ye Tianchen and asked.

”Don’t you want me to teach them? In the Martial Arts World, it’s survival of the fittest. Without strong power, even if Desolate Stone Village doesn’t die out naturally, one day it’ll be destroyed by the powerful...” Ye Tianchen paused. The implication from Grandpa Shi seemed to be that he didn’t want Ye Tianchen to teach Little Shitou and the others the cultivation path.

”But...” The old village chief seemed torn as he looked at Ye Tianchen, having some difficulty explaining, hesitant to speak!

Ye Tianchen glanced at the old village chief, guessing he might have things he hadn’t told him, perhaps due to a lack of trust or unwillingness to bring up past events. Nevertheless, Ye Tianchen wanted to help Desolate Stone Village and Little Shitou simply because the villagers’ kindness and warmth touched him, simply because the look of loneliness in Little Shitou’s eyes and his frail silhouette made his heart ache. It was too cruel for such a small child to endure this kind of suffering at such a young age.

”Grandpa Shi, I don’t know what kind of pain or difficulty you harbor, but when I saw Little Shitou’s expectant gaze, his lonely figure, no matter what happens in the future, I must teach him the cultivation path, to help him grow stronger step by step!” Ye Tianchen looked firmly at the old village chief and said.

The old village chief paused and took a deep look at Ye Tianchen, a strange glint in his eyes, nodding slightly, he said, ”You are right. Who can really say what the future holds? Not every result has to be tragic. If we don’t fight against destiny, the villagers of Desolate Stone Village will only await the cycle of life and death, suffering from the curse put on us, living a life worse than death. So why not fight?”

”Fine, I am willing to fight alongside the villagers of Desolate Stone Village, against the heavens, against the earth, living and dying together!” Ye Tianchen said earnestly.

”Look at these steles. Do you sense anything strange about them?” The old village chief looked at the steles in front and, with a hint of melancholy in his eyes, asked.

”To be honest, I have already been here and have probed these steles with Divine Sense. There’s nothing strange about them!” Ye Tianchen said.

”What if I tell you that these steles are actually the villagers of Desolate Stone Village? Would you believe it?” The old village chief said with a very sorrowful expression.

”What... what on earth is going on?” Ye Tianchen was startled and asked in disbelief.

It’s unimaginable that the steles behind the mountain at Desolate Stone Village were actually ”transformed” villagers? How could this be? Why would people turn into stone? Why were they all standing erect at the back of Desolate Stone Village?

Thereupon, the old village chief recounted the legend from tens of thousands of years ago in Desolate Stone Village, leaving Ye Tianchen utterly amazed, struggling to believe yet unable to not believe, wanting to believe yet finding it too incredible, feeling thoroughly shocked.

It turns out that when Desolate Stone Village was founded, there were already hundreds of people. Long ago, just like any ordinary village, Desolate Stone Village underwent the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, living the most ordinary lives of ordinary people. At that time, the birth of a new baby wouldn’t result in the death of the parents. Everything was peaceful and harmonious, filled with happiness and warmth. However, on a night with no moon and high winds, a group of Demon Gods stood outside the village, roaring and bellowing, yet not daring to enter.

From their roars, the villagers learned that the Demon Gods intended to take away ten newborn infants from Desolate Stone Village, or they would flatten the village. The entire populace of Desolate Stone Village, young and old, knelt at the village entrance, knowing they couldn’t possibly oppose the Demon Gods and could only beg them not to take their children.

These Demon Gods were overwhelmingly powerful, and darkness enveloped all of Desolate Stone Village, as if the end of the world had come, instilling deep fear, making everyone think they were doomed, that no one would survive. Yet at that moment, the Shi Hu beside the Desolate Stone Village Stele came back to life, roaring to the heavens, showing divine might, and fought against those Demon Gods. The battle was nothing short of earth-shattering; however, Shi Hu was only one Demon God, and ultimately, it couldn’t fend off the pack of demons. Shi Hu was gravely injured and disappeared. The demons seemed to receive some information and did not take the ten newborns from Desolate Stone Village by force, but cast the strongest curse instead, awakening the bloodline power within these babies. In an instant, their parents turned into steles, leaving the other villagers stunned.

As they left, a Demon God’s voice echoed, claiming that every Desolate Stone Villager had extraordinary bloodline power. Since they refused to leave with them, they would never awaken. The birth of a new baby would threaten the lives of his parents, and should the villagers of Desolate Stone Village dare embark on the cultivation path, it would lead to their destruction. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)