Chapter Sixty-Eight: Blessed by the Ancestors...

At this moment, Luo Ancestor's Yang Spirit dared not be too active amidst the ruins, for if those mighty beings took him as an enemy and casually struck out, he might meet his end right then and there. Not wishing for such a fate, Luo Ancestor merely observed with utmost care the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him, as well as the lingering remnants of sorcery and strange spells in the vicinity, hoping to glean some insight from them. Of course, most important of all was to note the locations of the severed limbs and shattered artifacts left behind by the battle; perhaps, in days to come, he could scavenge some treasures.

At times, Luo Ancestor mused that being a scavenger in this primeval wilderness was not such a bad occupation. One had only to beware that even scavengers might be caught in the aftermath of the great powers’ battles, so it was best to observe from afar and not draw too near.

As Luo Ancestor kept vigilant watch on the celestial lights streaking through the sky, a sudden thunderous sound erupted amidst the clouds that veiled the sun. This was not the clamor of battle, but voices—spoken in the languages of the witches and the monsters. Fortunately, Luo Ancestor understood both tongues and could comprehend their meaning.

“Hot Witches! Thorn will not let you go!” The words rang with the bitter resolve of the vanquished.

“Thorn? He is no longer able to avenge you,” came the reply, signifying that their supposed patron, Thorn, had already been dealt with.

Their exchange was a dialogue of monster speech to witch speech; each side spoke its own language, and to those who understood neither, it might have sounded as if chickens and ducks were conversing. But Luo Ancestor grasped every word, and then came no more conversation, only a chorus of agonized screams.

A rain of blood fell upon the earth, mingled with fragments of flesh and bone. Luo Ancestor dared not use his Yang Spirit to collect it, but hid beneath the ruins, using his world-in-a-jar to gather these blood and bone fragments.

A mournful horn resounded in the aftermath. The clouds and smoke dispersed, revealing only empty sky. The witches had already departed, their whereabouts unknown, leaving behind chaos and devastation. Luo Ancestor heaved a sigh, though his heart was not burdened with sorrow.

“These prodigal children,” he murmured inwardly.

Then, his Yang Spirit slipped into the earth, returning to the underground safehouse and rejoining his physical body.

“It’s over. Let’s go back,” Luo Ancestor said to his anxious kin.

“Chief?! Is it really over?” Fire Child, still trembling, sought confirmation from Luo Ancestor.

“It’s over,” Luo Ancestor replied, surveying his people with solemn assurance.

A unanimous cheer broke out among the crowd. Everyone squeezed toward the exit in delight, but the passage was so crowded that none could get through; it was Iron Head and his companions who, with their authority, dragged a few aside and brought order to the exodus.

Luo Ancestor no longer intended to bury this safehouse; instead, he would have future generations of Salt Spring Village maintain it well. Who could say if another “calamity of heaven and earth” might not occur in the days to come?

Emerging from the dark confines of the safehouse, the clansfolk rejoiced at seeing daylight again. Alas, theirs was not a tribe given to singing and dancing, so their joy was expressed in exuberant shouts.

Luo Ancestor did not restrain them, for the arduous task of rebuilding their home awaited, and he let them celebrate while they could.

After the jubilation, sorrow, weeping, and lamentation soon followed. Luo Ancestor saw it all and knew he must step forth to rally his people.

“My clansfolk, my kin, I know this disaster has destroyed our home and ruined our legacy. But shall we be defeated by it?”

“Shall we?”

His challenge echoed through the ruins, reaching every “cave dweller’s” ear.

The answer came swiftly.

“No!!”

The first to stand and respond was not Iron Head nor Fire Child, but Creek—a woman whose early life had been bound by hardship, yet possessed an indomitable spirit. Having not been broken by calamity, those “cave dwellers” who followed her example would not be broken either. They were only slower to respond.

“No!!!”

The shout was deafening, from toddlers of three to elders of five hundred, all raised their arms in exultant affirmation.

Luo Ancestor was gratified, his gaze sweeping over every passionate face as he gave his instructions.

There was still Tiger Head Village and Luo Township to investigate, so he organized a group to scout the situation.

“Iron Head, Pig, Rock, Second Child—come with me to check on Tiger Head Village and Luo Township,” Luo Ancestor summoned his chosen few.

Fire Child, Creek, and others with management experience were left behind to carry out Luo Ancestor’s arrangements.

With his team assembled, Luo Ancestor immediately set out.

First, they went to Tiger Head Village, which was also reduced to ruins, much like Salt Spring. Then they arrived at Luo Township, where only a dozen or so houses had collapsed; the main structures remained unharmed, much to their astonishment.

“Is this the blessing of our ancestors? Wait, aren’t we the ancestors ourselves?”

Despite their puzzlement, they attributed their fortune to Lady Nuwa’s protection and Luo Township’s own luck.

Given Luo Township’s relative preservation, Luo Ancestor led everyone back there, settling them first, before dispatching teams to rebuild Tiger Head Village and Salt Spring Village.

They had ample time to accomplish these tasks, though the population of Luo Township suddenly swelled, leaving insufficient housing. Some clansfolk had to reside in caves.

In this moment of crisis’s end, the “cave dwellers” revived tradition and, day and night, began to “multiply” once more…

If not for Luo Ancestor’s restraint, these folk would indulge their impulses even in the wild.

It should be noted that the hunting party included not only men but many women as well.

Luo Ancestor approved of their spirit and turned a blind eye to their conduct, pinching his nose and letting it pass.

He had little time to concern himself with them, for much remained to be researched—such as the blood and bone fragments collected from the rain, and the shard of the flying artifact.

This time, however, the fragments of flesh and bone lacked the vitality of the likes of Enemy Pheasant; they were little different from the remains of ordinary beasts. So Luo Ancestor sealed them in the world-in-a-jar for preservation.

As for the artifact shard, which had cost Luo Ancestor considerable effort to obtain, it was worthy of thorough study.

He had used a fusion of one hundred and eight arts to blunt its force, then employed the world-in-a-jar to imprison it, thereby neutralizing its terrible power.

Moreover, the world-in-a-jar he used was not the terrestrial realm, but the “immortal world.”

The “immortal world” had been thrown into chaos by the shard, nearly collapsing, but thanks to Luo Ancestor’s arts, its destructive edge was dulled; else, his newly forged “immortal world” would have been annihilated.

The shard was incomplete, yet with Luo Ancestor’s current wisdom, he could at least discern most of its secrets.

But once he began, he became thoroughly perplexed.

First, the matter of materials: Luo Ancestor could tell it was an alloy, but of its composition, he recognized only seven elements, had seen eighteen, and was utterly ignorant of the remaining twenty-one.

Yet he was not reliant on his own wisdom alone; he had at his disposal the collective intelligence of countless living beings within his world.