Upon the ice of the North Sea, a single figure lay still on the frigid surface. He seemed entirely oblivious to the biting cold surrounding him. He had stretched his limbs out as far as possible, flattening his entire body against the ice.
Scattered across his body were numerous fragments of white stone, adhering to him as if fastened with powerful glue.
Nearby stood three people and two beasts, taking turns tending to him. If even one of the white stones slipped from his body, they would immediately retrieve it, striving to find a suitable replacement to place in its stead.
This ritual had continued for an entire year.
Suddenly, the man’s arm shifted slightly, and a piece of stone, about the size of a fist, tumbled away.
He Yi Ming reached out and snatched the fragment, vanishing it within his palm with a subtle movement. But this time, he did not immediately procure another white stone; instead, he gazed down at the man below with an expression full of expectation.
“Yi Ming, will Brother Bai awaken?” Yuan Lixun approached him quietly, asking softly.
“He will,” He Yi Ming declared without hesitation, his tone resolute and absolute. “He is absolutely going to wake up.” Glancing at the dense cluster of white stone shards covering the entirety of Bai Ling Ba’s body, He Yi Ming seemed to be fortifying his own resolve. “These are the final batch of white stone fragments. Once he finishes absorbing them, he will surely return to normal.”
Mou Zilong also drew his gaze from the white stones. Regarding this Mr. Bai Ling Ba, he harbored a profound sense of awe that stemmed from the very depths of his soul.
Five thousand years ago, this man was already a renowned master of the Divine Path. Yet, even with his vast experience, Mou Zilong had never heard of any life form as miraculous as Bai Ling Ba.
After collecting some of the white stones, this being had begun to grow visibly larger day by day, at a rate discernible to the naked eye. Furthermore, as Bai Ling Ba’s true form expanded, the speed of his absorption accelerated.
What was initially estimated to take several years, perhaps even over a decade, for Bai Ling Ba to fully recover, had instead taken less than a year for him to grow to the size of an ordinary man. And now, the stones covering him represented the very last of what he needed.
At this juncture, Mou Zilong was genuinely impatient to see what kind of person this astonishing Bai Ling Ba truly was.
“Roar…”
Bao Zhu suddenly let out a cry brimming with unmistakable delight and excitement.
He Yi Ming’s eyes sharpened. He saw the stones covering Bai Ling Ba begin to fall away, one after another.
His own eyes were filled with delight, too. Although those white stones still contained some potent energy, He Yi Ming could no longer spare a moment. He shot forward in a single bound and stood beside Bai Ling Ba, gently waving his hand to carefully sweep the fallen stones away, watching Bai Ling Ba with tense anticipation.
However, Bai Ling Ba did not awaken as he had hoped. His tightly shut eyes showed no inclination whatsoever to open.
He Yi Ming parted his lips, and a heavy sinking feeling settled in his heart.
Mou Zilong and the others watched intently. They too were filled with immense anticipation. After all, growing and being resurrected in this manner was an unprecedented event; to claim they weren't intensely interested would be a lie.
Bao Zhu grunted a few times, then suddenly leaped up, landing heavily upon Bai Ling Ba’s chest. It affectionately nudged Bai Ling Ba’s head with its long snout.
He Yi Ming reached out to intervene but stopped midway. Since Bai Ling Ba remained unconscious, letting the little Bao Zhu try seemed reasonable.
Bai Ling Ba’s head swayed with the nudge, but there was still no sign of his eyes opening.
Bao Zhu seemed to grow impatient and rammed its head forward forcefully.
However, the little creature forgot one thing: a pair of hard antlers had sprouted on its head. And these were no ordinary horns, but symbols of a Divine Beast, whose hardness was surely comparable to any divine weapon.
Thus, upon impact, the antlers made the most intimate contact with Bai Ling Ba’s face. Amidst a shower of sparks, a gash appeared on Bai Ling Ba’s face.
Bao Zhu visibly froze, its small eyes darting around nervously.
Mou Zilong stared dumbfounded. The horns of a Divine Beast were among the hardest parts of its body. The wound on Bai Ling Ba’s face was extremely deep; any ordinary person struck that hard would surely have perished instantly. But this bizarre being, who had grown from the size of a palm to his current stature in just one year, could certainly not be judged by conventional standards.
He Yi Ming slapped his forehead in distress and snapped, “Bao Zhu, get down!”
The little pig knew it had caused trouble. It obediently tiptoed down. However, before its four hooves even touched the ground, it was yanked up by a hand.
The eyes of He Yi Ming and the others suddenly lit up. The owner of that hand was none other than Bai Ling Ba, who had been lying motionless on the ice moments before.
“Brother Bai, you’re awake?” He Yi Ming asked, a rush of joy and surprise overwhelming him.
Yet, he received no reply, as he had expected.
Bai Ling Ba directly pulled Bao Zhu up and rose slowly from the ice. The entire process was cumbersome, much like a child less than a year old, unable to walk, giving off an impression of stiffness and vacancy.
Standing upright, Bai Ling Ba shook his head, as if sensing the discomfort on his face. He pressed a hand to his head, pushing gently downward, and the deep gash on his face instantly vanished.
Mou Zilong drew a sharp breath. He finally understood why He Yi Ming had been so confident in Bai Ling Ba’s recovery.
Such divine power was simply unbelievable. But a moment later, he relaxed; if Bai Ling Ba could transform his entire body to such a size, healing a minor wound would surely be the simplest matter.
Bai Ling Ba lowered his head. His jewel-like eyes curiously examined the little pig in his grasp, while Bao Zhu stared back with wide eyes, its fawning grin perfectly mimicked.
This pair was quite peculiar. Bai Ling Ba did not belong to this world, yet Bao Zhu was the Divine Beast least burdened by the solemnity of the Divine Path. But since they met, they had become the closest of friends.
“You, are, who?” Bai Ling Ba asked, enunciating each word slowly.
Bao Zhu’s smiling face immediately stiffened. It squealed, “I am Bao Zhu.”
A flicker seemed to pass through Bai Ling Ba’s eyes, but no joy appeared; it was as if he were hearing the name of a stranger.
A chill swept through He Yi Ming’s heart. He tested cautiously, “Brother Bai, do you remember me?”
Bai Ling Ba’s hand suddenly opened, and Bao Zhu tumbled heavily onto the ice. Of course, with its thick hide, it was uninjured, but it stared at Bai Ling Ba with small eyes full of grievance, clearly displeased.
Lifting his head, the expression on Bai Ling Ba’s face was vividly imprinted in He Yi Ming’s memory.
The first time He Yi Ming had met Bai Ling Ba, his face had borne that same look—a gaze far duller than that of a normal person, like someone mentally stunted by an external force.
“You don’t remember me?” He Yi Ming slowed his voice, speaking deliberately.
Bai Ling Ba raised his hand and suddenly stated, “You are He Yi Ming.”
He Yi Ming’s eyes blazed with sudden hope. Overjoyed, he nodded repeatedly, laughing loudly, “Brother Bai, it is I! Congratulations on your return.”
However, Bai Ling Ba displayed no corresponding joy. He remained expressionless: “I do not know you.”
He Yi Ming’s laughter abruptly ceased, his expression becoming one of profound bewilderment.
The group exchanged glances. After a long silence, Yuan Lixun pointed at He Yi Ming and asked, “Who is he?”
“He Yi Ming.”
“Do you know him?” Everyone sighed in relief, and Yuan Lixun questioned again.
“I do not,” Bai Ling Ba replied with absolute finality.
He Yi Ming parted his mouth, finding his mind a tangled knot, unable to articulate a single word.
“If you do not know him, why could you call out his name?” Mou Zilong stepped forward, asking in a deep voice.
Bai Ling Ba thought carefully. His eyes, clearly not human, shone briefly like small suns before their light dimmed. After a moment, he stated calmly, “I do not know.”
Mou Zilong was momentarily choked with frustration, but he knew little about this mysterious and unpredictable being. After witnessing Bai Ling Ba’s strangeness, he had long abandoned any thought of conflict. Thus, he shook his head helplessly and remained silent.
White Horse Thunder (Baima Leidian) stepped forward, circled Bai Ling Ba once, flicked its tail, and neighed softly.
Although the relationship between the White Horse and Bai Ling Ba hadn't always been harmonious, its current concern mirrored that of the others.
Uncertain of what the White Horse had communicated, Bai Ling Ba clearly fell into deep contemplation.
He Yi Ming grabbed the sulking Bao Zhu on the ground and whispered, “What did Thunder say?” As he asked this, a strange sense of emotion rose within him.
Previously, he always relied on Bai Ling Ba to translate the meanings exchanged between Bao Zhu and White Horse. But now, the situation was reversed; he was asking Bao Zhu for interpretation.
Bao Zhu first grunted, then relayed, “Thunder says, you, me, and the two of them are one family.”
He Yi Ming’s heart surged with emotion. Though Thunder had clearly excluded Yuan Lixun and Mou Zilong when speaking, this was undoubtedly its truest feeling.
The four of them had traveled the world together, enduring countless life-or-death struggles. That bond could never be erased by anything.
Bai Ling Ba tilted his head, seemingly weighing the words, remaining silent for a long time.
He Yi Ming sighed softly and stepped forward, taking Bai Ling Ba’s hand. “Brother Bai. Don't overthink it. Come with me.”
Bai Ling Ba’s voice remained placid and unruffled.
“Go where?”
“Let’s go… home!”
Watching He Yi Ming and the others, Mou Zilong inexplicably felt a surge of intense envy. Faintly, he seemed to recall moments from long-buried memories, and a warmth he hadn't felt in ages slowly began to surface.