Chapter Two: The Vast Majesty of Heaven

The Barbarian Mountains stretched before the eyes, their peaks soaring and overlapping in endless waves, shielding the sky and blotting out the sun. Ancient trees, tall and vigorous, blanketed the mountainsides in lush greenery. Wisps of thin spiritual energy drifted through the air, winding around a group of disciples from the Azure Profound Palace as they made their way through the range.

Ye Qingyu's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the two “horrifically mangled” corpses of barbarian bears before her. It all felt like a dream. Ever since the Azure Profound Palace had been annihilated, she and the few surviving disciples had fled with Uncle Iron to seek refuge in the Barbarian Mountains. Their plan was to establish a new stronghold in these wilds, recuperate, strengthen their cultivation, and one day return to the Great Jing Dynasty to avenge their fallen sect and wash away the injustices that had claimed the lives of their elders and kin.

Yet fate had other plans. As they hurried through the mountains, they were ambushed by ferocious barbarian bear monsters and relentlessly hunted down. Ye Qingyu vividly recalled the terror that had drained the color from her face, the dread overwhelming her as Uncle Iron fell to the beast in less than half a quarter of an hour. Despair flooded her heart.

Misfortune, as the saying goes, never comes alone. Encountering one barbarian bear was already disastrous—yet, as they fled for their lives, a second one appeared, trapping them in a deadly pincer. Ye Qingyu’s delicate features were clouded with hopelessness; she could only shut her eyes and await death.

But in that split second, when all seemed lost, the heavens split open. From the firmament descended an incomparably vast and terrifying finger, blotting out the sky as if cleaving through the void itself. It stirred the spiritual energies of heaven and earth, unleashing an overwhelming might filled with boundless killing intent and sharpness.

This scene was seared into Ye Qingyu's memory for life. Before the desperate Uncle Iron, the two barbarian bears, despite their formidable defenses, were nothing more than ants beneath this celestial finger. They had no chance to resist—instantly, they were crushed to fragments.

“Such resplendent heavenly might...” Ye Qingyu gazed upward in awe, but saw only thick clouds and the occasional passing bird. Yet she could not shake the feeling that, somewhere high above, a celestial deity or banished immortal had merged with the Heavenly Dao and now gazed down upon the world.

“What just happened? What was that colossal finger just now?” At this moment, the other disciples of the Azure Profound Palace were equally bewildered, glancing at each other in shock, awe, or excitement. Though their rescue left them elated, none truly understood what had transpired.

“Uncle Iron, could it have been an immortal of the Heavenly Dao intervening just now?” Ye Qingyu’s eyes flickered with hope as she gently bit her lip, convinced that only a legendary immortal, long since vanished into the Heavenly Dao, could unleash such a world-shattering strike.

“Er...” Uncle Iron was just as baffled. How could he know if it truly was a banished immortal? Such figures, spoken of in legends, might never have existed at all. Yet, catching sight of the hopeful faces before him, he cleared his throat and fabricated an explanation: “Indeed, it’s very likely that was a banished immortal from ancient times.”

“Our palace’s ancient records tell of a mysterious immortal who appeared in the Central Profound Continent during the distant past. When he struck, mountains and rivers shattered for thousands of miles and stars fell from the heavens. But those same records say that after the Middle Ages, the immortal perhaps ascended to the Immortal Realm and was never seen again.”

“Thus, it's highly probable that our rescue today was the work of that very immortal, now one with the Heavenly Dao, striking from the Immortal Realm across the cosmos to destroy the barbarian bears and save us!”

As he spoke, Uncle Iron almost convinced himself. Finishing, he knelt down and bowed three times toward the sky with utmost reverence. “We, the humble juniors of the Azure Profound Sect, thank the Immortal for his gracious rescue.”

Seeing this, the other disciples followed suit, kneeling and giving thanks, feeling grateful for the immortal’s intervention.

“These... these tiny people are speaking to me?!” Watching this scene, Qin Feng was momentarily stunned, his eyes full of surprise. These little people seemed truly sentient—were they really kneeling to him?

His gaze flickered as he instinctively lifted a finger to his nose and sniffed, catching a faint scent of blood. Looking at the bloodstains on his fingertip, his thoughts raced. The more he considered it, the more convinced he became that there was a small world inside the box.

Curiosity piqued, he continued observing, eyes fixed on the tiny figures. After a while, he saw them rise and, working together, haul away the corpses of the two barbarian bears before continuing along the mountain path, seemingly searching for a suitable place to settle.

After about an hour, the group found a flat area encircled by mountains on three sides. Excited, they gestured animatedly and huddled together, whispering in hushed tones. Soon, some paired off to cut timber, some sought out large stones, while others, wielding spells, coaxed thorny vines from the ground to braid into thick ropes.

Using the materials of the wild forest, the little people quickly constructed houses, planting wooden stakes around them and draping thorny vines over the fences. Night soon fell.

Gathered together, they sang ancient songs and roasted the two barbarian bears over an open fire. Golden fat dripped onto the skin, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. During this time, Qin Feng noticed one of the women speaking to her companions, glancing skyward from time to time. The others nodded solemnly, their faces growing reverent.

Then several stood and, under the direction of a burly figure, carried stones to build a simple altar, etching patterns upon it. When the altar was finished, they placed one roasted bear atop it before returning to the fire.

Moments later, cheers arose as they feasted upon the other bear, eating and drinking their fill before retiring to their new homes for the night.

At this point, time within the scene seemed to “pause.” Nothing further changed.

“They’ve gone to sleep?” Qin Feng watched for a while, then yawned. Hunger began to gnaw at him, and he decided there was little point in continuing to stare at the box. He turned away, left the secluded study through a hidden passage, and locked the room behind him.

It was early morning—the sky just beginning to lighten, the clouds tinged with the first glow of dawn. Qin Feng locked up the house and went out.

Following the road, he arrived at a local tavern and sat by the window. “A bowl of lean pork porridge, two plates of vegetable buns, two eggs, and a steamed bun,” he ordered without hesitation when the waiter approached.

“Right away, sir,” the waiter replied respectfully, soon returning with steaming-hot breakfast, which he set on the table.

As Qin Feng ate, his thoughts repeatedly returned to the box hidden in the ancestral study’s secret passage. By sheer chance, he had discovered a box that seemed to contain a real world—a revelation that filled him with wonder and unease.