It was a twisted statue.
The figure appeared humanoid, yet its body was distorted in ways that seemed unnatural.
The carving was crude and uneven, yet a faint silver radiance emanated from within it.
The moment Nian Lin looked at it, he felt unable to look away.
An indescribable attraction seemed to pull at his mind.
His heartbeat quickened.
Suppressing his curiosity, he picked up the statue and placed it inside his bag.
Then he grabbed several of the eggs and turned to leave.
He raced through the underground corridors as fast as he could.
Because he knew exactly what kind of creature owned that nest.
A gigantic two-headed bird.
The true ruler of the Nian Clan Mansion.
And if it returned before he escaped, there would be only one outcome.
Death.
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After leaving the Nian Clan Mansion, Nian Lin ran without stopping.
He knew that once the two-headed bird returned and discovered its nest had been disturbed, it would immediately begin searching for the thief.
If it found him, he would undoubtedly die.
Thus, Nian Lin fled as far as he could from the mansion.
Only after running for a considerable amount of time did he slow down.
Soon, he arrived at a small hidden cave.
This cave was not his main hideout. Instead, it was one of several shelters he had prepared over the years for emergencies.
Without hesitation, he entered.
The first thing he did was deal with the eggs.
Nian Lin had no idea what level the two-headed bird had reached, nor did he know whether it possessed special abilities. What if it could track the eggs by scent? What if it had left some kind of mark on them?
He could not take such risks.
After choosing a concealed corner of the cave, he dug a deep pit and carefully buried the eggs.
To further conceal their scent, he covered the area with foul-smelling mud and scattered pieces of rotten meat around the cave.
He even spread traces of poison throughout the surroundings.
Only after doing everything he could think of did he finally relax.
Without lingering, he left once more and hurried back toward his true hideout.
By the time he returned, the sky had become completely dark.
Nian Lin immediately sealed the entrance from the inside.
He carefully covered every crack and hid the luminous pearl that normally provided light.
The cave was plunged into darkness.
Dagger in hand, he retreated to the deepest corner and quietly waited.
Time slowly passed.
Nian Lin did not know how many hours had gone by.
His body was exhausted.
For days, he had spent his time observing the Nian Clan Mansion without proper rest.
His eyelids gradually became heavy.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a deafening cry echoed through the night.
The sound was unlike anything he had ever heard.
Part bird.
Part beast.
The terrifying roar shook the earth and caused his ears to ring.
Nian Lin's eyes snapped open.
He was certain of it.
The creature was the true ruler of this region.
The king of the surrounding lands.
Soon afterward, countless other sounds erupted throughout the night.
The howls of beasts.
The cries of birds.
The roars of monsters.
The beating of enormous wings.
One sound followed another without end.
The entire area seemed to have descended into chaos.
Nian Lin did not dare move.
Nor did he dare sleep.
Only when the crimson moon disappeared beyond the horizon and daylight returned did the sounds finally begin to fade.
At some point, exhaustion overcame him.
He drifted into a deep sleep.
When he woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Even then, Nian Lin did not immediately open the cave.
Instead, he carefully peered through the narrow cracks around the entrance.
After observing for a long time and confirming that nothing unusual was outside, he finally relaxed.
However, he still did not leave.
Instead, he dug out the luminous pearl he had hidden earlier.
A soft light filled the cave.
Nian Lin then retrieved the two scrolls he had brought back from the mansion.
Although he was only eleven years old, he was not illiterate.
Before the catastrophe, his father had been an important figure within the Nian Clan. As a result, Nian Lin had received a considerable amount of education.
He slowly opened the first scroll.
Inside were illustrations of a young swordsman performing various stances.
Each movement was accompanied by detailed diagrams and explanations.
The moment he saw it, Nian Lin understood.
This was a sword art.
His heart immediately filled with excitement.
Carefully rolling it back up, he opened the second scroll.
This one contained a movement technique.
Various footwork patterns and body movements were recorded within it. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The diagrams showed how to move swiftly, evade attacks, and travel with greater speed.
Compared to the sword art, however, this scroll was incomplete.
Several sections had been torn away.
Nian Lin could only estimate that a portion of the inheritance was missing.
Even so, he was already satisfied.
Obtaining two cultivation inheritances in a single night was more than he had ever dared imagine.
As he examined the movement technique more carefully, something unexpected caught his attention.
On the reverse side of one of the pages, there appeared to be additional drawings.
Nian Lin immediately turned the scroll over.
His eyes widened.
The illustrations were completely different from the movement technique.
The first image depicted a person sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Green streams of energy flowed from the surrounding world and entered the person's body.
Below the illustration were numerous explanations.
At the top were two ancient words:
Qi Condensation.
Nian Lin's breathing quickened.
He hurriedly turned to the next section.
Another illustration appeared.
This time, the figure's body had undergone a clear transformation.
The energy pathways within the body had become far more stable and complete.
At the top were two different words:
Foundation Establishment.
Unfortunately, the remaining pages had been torn away.
The rest of the cultivation path was missing.
Even so, Nian Lin's eyes shone with excitement.
For the first time in years, he had finally discovered a path toward becoming a cultivator.
A path toward strength.
A path toward survival.
Perhaps one day, when he became strong enough, he would return to the Nian Clan Mansion and uncover the secrets that still remained hidden there.
With that thought in mind, Nian Lin placed both scrolls beside him and carefully studied every diagram once more.
Then, following the instructions as best he could, he took a deep breath, sat cross-legged upon the ground, and began his first attempt at cultivation.