In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

Shi Geng walked through the dilapidated village, with crooked houses on both sides, peeling paint, and rotten wood everywhere.

The servants passing by on the road were all dressed in old clothes and looked lifeless. When some of them caught a glimpse of him covered in mud and with disheveled hair, they were initially wary. But when they saw the unicorn following closely behind, they all looked terrified and quietly moved aside.

This is a ferocious beast; how could ordinary people like them dare to step forward and stop it?

As we ventured deeper into the area, the sounds of conversation drifted intermittently into my ears.

"Where did this child come from? He's too bold! This is the ancestral land of the Stone Clan!"

"And that ferocious beast... it looks quite extraordinary."

"Don't talk too much. The estate is getting worse every day. Most of the old men are dead. We'd better not provoke them."

Shi Geng ignored them and looked around. When he arrived at a relatively intact stone courtyard in the center of the village, several old men dressed in coarse linen clothes suddenly came out of the courtyard. They all had tense faces and had obviously come after hearing the commotion.

The elderly man at the head of the group frowned, raised his hand to block their path, and said in a cold tone, "This is the ancestral land of the Stone Clan. All irrelevant people, leave immediately and do not cause trouble here!"

Shi Geng stopped and bowed to the group, saying, "Shi Geng, a junior from Shi Village, greets all my great-grandfathers."

As soon as the words were spoken, the elders were all taken aback. They looked at each other with surprise and doubt in their eyes. The Stone Clan had many branches, but none of them were named after a village.

The atmosphere froze for a moment. The elder in the lead looked Shi Geng up and down, his gaze lingering on the unicorn behind him with its imposing aura, his expression becoming increasingly cautious.

"Stone Village?" he asked in a deep voice, his tone tinged with inquiry. "My Stone Clan has a long and rich history, with records of all its branches. I have lived for hundreds of years and have never heard of any Stone Village lineage. Who are you, and why have you trespassed on our ancestral land?"

The other elders also stepped forward, forming a subtle encirclement, their bodies emanating a faint aura of power.

Although they were all so old that they were almost unrecognizable, and some of them were nearing the end of their lives, they were still powerful figures in their own right. If they were to act recklessly, even experts at the Spirit Transformation Realm would have to back down.

Shi Geng remained calm and spoke indifferently: "You may not have heard of Shi Village, but our village has another name that you should be familiar with—the First Ancestral Land."

"The first ancestral land?"

These four short words struck the elderly men like a thunderclap. Their tense expressions changed drastically, their breath caught in their throats, and their guarded expressions vanished, replaced by unbelievable shock.

The elder at the head of the group suddenly took a step forward, his eyes wide open, his voice trembling slightly: "You...you say you come from the First Ancestral Land? That is the origin of my Stone Clan, the most ancient ancestral land in legend, which lost all contact with us countless years ago."

The other elders were also moved, whispering among themselves, their eyes fixed on Shi Geng, some questioning, some probing, and others unable to hide their excitement.

"It is said that the First Ancestral Land possesses unparalleled heritage and is the origin of the entire Stone Clan. However, it was suddenly struck by a great change in the past, and there has been no news of it since."

An elderly man with white hair muttered to himself, "I never imagined that the First Ancestral Land still exists."

Everyone looked at Shi Geng, their doubts gradually easing, but they still dared not fully believe it.

The elder at the head of the group composed himself, gathered his thoughts, and cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "This matter is of utmost importance and cannot tolerate any falsehood. Young friend, do you have any proof that you truly come from the First Ancestral Land?"

Shi Geng shook his head slightly and admitted, "I really can't produce any token or certificate."

Stone Village has long since fallen into ruin, and the supreme glory of its former status as the first ancestral land has vanished. There are still a few ancestral artifacts in the village, but those heavy artifacts are used to protect the village, and he obviously did not bring them with him this time.

The eagerness that had just appeared on the faces of the elderly men froze instantly, doubt resurfaced in their eyes, and their expressions became wary again.

"No token?"

The elder in the lead frowned, his tone becoming more scrutinizing. "Empty words and a mere claim of descent from the First Ancestral Land are hardly enough to convince anyone."

Shi Gen shook his head slightly, his expression calm and without the slightest panic: "Shi Village has long since declined like this second ancestral land, no longer possessing the glory of the first ancestral land. Its heritage has also been lost, and I truly cannot produce any proof."

Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances, their wariness deepening. The white-haired elder beside them pondered, "Without proof, how can we be convinced?"

"I don't have the proof, but there is one person you all must have heard of." Shi Geng raised his eyes and slowly uttered a name, "Shi Hao."

The moment those two words were uttered, the courtyard fell into a sudden silence.

The elderly men's pupils constricted, their breaths caught in their throats, and the surprise and wariness on their faces faded slightly, replaced by deep shock and a complex mix of emotions.

A child's voice suddenly rang out, timidly asking, "Big brother, do you know me?"

A small figure peeked out from behind the door. The child was hiding behind the door frame, with only half of his face showing, and was cautiously looking at Shi Geng.

He was thin and frail, almost skin and bones, looking extremely weak, as if a gust of wind could blow him over, making him look pitiful.

"Ahem, I wasn't talking about you. Go back inside now."

Shi Geng covered his mouth and coughed lightly, forgetting that the child in front of him was now also named Shi Hao. Bearing this name and living in the increasingly declining ancestral land, the hardships he endured were unimaginable.

"Shi Hao..."

The elderly man at the head of the group slowly repeated the two words, his brows furrowed with regret, and asked softly, "How is that child now?"

When the old stories were mentioned, the elderly men all looked wistful and full of regret.

That's a naturally superior bone structure; with such talent, one is destined to rise to great heights and have a limitless future.

Unexpectedly, his closest relative harbored greed and forcibly took away his supreme bone. Such a calamity befell a young child, and anyone who thought of it would feel a pang of pain in their heart.

"Little one is doing very well. He is currently in Stone Village and has already entered the Blood Transfer Realm."

Shi Geng slowly recounted the little one's recent situation.

Upon hearing this, the elderly men were taken aback at first, but then their faces lit up with joy, and their previous regret turned into deep emotion.

They looked at each other, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes. The tragedy of that year had nearly destroyed a generation of prodigies, and now, hearing that the little one had recovered and even embarked on the path of cultivation, their hearts were filled with joy.

"Really? That child not only survived, but also successfully reached the Blood Transformation Realm?"

The white-haired old man couldn't contain his excitement and took half a step forward. He knew that the child had suffered a great calamity in the past, and his supreme bone had been taken away. Everyone thought that the child had no chance of survival. Unexpectedly, he not only survived, but also rose against the odds.

"How could a junior dare to deceive his elders?"

Shi Geng then explained the little one's situation in detail.

The elderly men listened intently, sometimes frowning and lamenting the past calamities, sometimes showing amazement, their regret gradually turning into heartfelt praise.

They knew all too well how dangerous the bone-snatching injury was. Anyone else would have been exhausted long ago, and it would have been a miracle if they had survived. But the child not only survived, but also embarked on the path of cultivation again. Such resilience was truly rare.

After Shi Geng finished speaking, the white-haired old man sighed, "I never thought that the couple would actually find the first ancestral land."