“I’ll teach you!” the burly man with the bristling beard replied, “All you need to do is silently recite in your mind, strike! The five-colored stones will fly out and hit the target. Silently recite, return! And they’ll fly back into your hand. It’s extremely simple to use. There are twenty-four stones in this pouch, more than enough for your hunting needs. If we encounter a demon beast, I’ll hold it off in front, and you attack from behind with the five-colored stones. As long as we cooperate well, ordinary demon beasts won’t stand a chance.”

William Carter, seeing how forthright this burly man was, felt his wariness ease and a sense of closeness grow. He couldn’t help but ask, “If you give me this pouch of five-colored stones, won’t you be left without a weapon? How will you defend against demon beasts?”

The burly man laughed heartily and said, “Of course I have my own weapon.” He raised his hand to show a metal ring on his finger, silently recited an incantation, and the ring instantly transformed into a long black iron spear—thick, heavy, and exuding a murderous aura.

“That’s good, then!”

William Carter was a man of considerable social experience and knew very well that, although hunting wasn’t a prestigious profession, it was still a job. In a strange environment, those with work always had higher status than those who idled about. William Carter didn’t want to drift aimlessly and become someone who gave up on himself. Besides, the five-colored stones given by the burly man were quite extraordinary, reminding him of magical treasures from legends, and greatly boosting his confidence in hunting demon beasts.

The burly man put away his iron spear and said to William Carter, “We don’t need to go far. There are plenty of demon beasts on the Xici Grassland near the Xinchen Hall. If we run into danger, we can always retreat to the Xinchen Hall for safety.”

William Carter nodded in agreement. The burly man then took out a few fruits and handed over a water flask, reminding him, “These Xinchen fruits are a local specialty near the Xinchen Hall. Eating one can restore a bit of stamina. This water is also drawn from the pool inside the Xinchen Hall. The hall is filled year-round with the energy of thunder and lightning. Drinking this water can refresh your mind, and since some demon beasts emit poisonous miasma, drinking this pool water can also ward off toxins.”

William Carter accepted the two items and finally remembered to ask, “May I know your name?”

The burly man answered without turning his head, “David Miller! You can also call me Rocky, or Big Rocky!”

“William Carter, you can also call me William! Just don’t call me Little Eleanor, that sounds too effeminate.”

Chapter Four: The Passing Years

The grass on the Xici Grassland reached above the knees, and a cool breeze blew gently. Although demon beasts roamed here, it was still a place of beautiful scenery and ever-changing vistas—a perfect tourist destination. On Earth, except for a few remote places, there were no longer such pristine lands.

The weather on Fengzhou changed rapidly. By Mirror Lake, it was as warm as spring, but just across the Xinchen Hall, the Xici Grassland felt like late autumn, with chilly winds. Although William Carter’s body had been transformed by the waters of the Heavenly River during his ascension, he still felt a bit cold and had to quicken his pace, closely following behind David Miller.

Not long after they entered the grassland, William Carter spotted a demon beast as large as a pig but shaped like a white rabbit, crouching on the ground. He silently recited “strike” in his mind, and the five-colored stone shot from his hand, smashing into the rabbit-shaped demon beast’s head and splattering blood.

The rabbit-shaped demon beast let out a low growl, looking extremely enraged. Its body suddenly stretched out and it lunged forward with lightning speed, showing none of a rabbit’s timidity or cowardice. Its movements were as fast as lightning, fiercer than a tiger in a zoo, leaping seven or eight meters high. Its three-lobed mouth bared, looking quite ferocious.

William Carter had never fought before and was momentarily stunned, forgetting to dodge. Fortunately, David Miller shouted loudly from the side. His ring had already transformed into a thick, long iron spear, which spun out a flower-shaped pattern the size of a bowl and stabbed accurately into the demon rabbit’s gaping, fanged mouth.

“Quick, get out of the way!”

Awakened by his companion’s shout, William Carter hurriedly recalled the five-colored stone, retreating while aiming another strike at the demon rabbit’s eyes. The demon rabbit, struck by David Miller’s spear, struggled fiercely, causing William Carter’s stone to miss slightly and hit its nose instead. The demon beast’s weakness was its nose, and it immediately began to bleed from its eyes, wailing in pain. David Miller withdrew his spear and delivered another blow. The already dying rabbit-shaped demon beast kicked its legs a few times and then expired.

“This demon rabbit moves so fast, it’s almost impossible to react!”

David Miller laughed and said, “For your first time hunting a demon beast, you did pretty well. Actually, although these demon beasts move quickly, as long as you judge correctly, it’s easy to dodge. Next time, do it like this…” David Miller demonstrated a few dodging moves. Though he was burly, his movements were extremely agile. William Carter quietly memorized these dodging techniques, finding the sequence of moves quite ingenious. He couldn’t help but ask, “Is this a martial art passed down on Fengzhou?”

David Miller shook his head and said, “No, this is a combat technique I learned in the army.”

“Oh? What kind of martial art is it? It seems quite ancient.”

“The basic footwork of the Yue Family Spear.”

William Carter asked in surprise, “Do they still teach the Yue Family Spear in the army these days?”

David Miller replied, “Of course, only our Yue Family Army has the chance to learn it. How could other armies have Marshal Yue himself teaching spear techniques?”

William Carter broke out in a sweat, and only then remembered to ask, “By the way, Rocky, what era are you from?”