A second great weeping cry rang out. Ten thousand mountains trembled, all the grass and trees shed their leaves rustling, extraordinarily terrifying — like a dreadful mountain flood striking the sky.

The weeping was brief and quickly ceased. Yet the ten thousand beasts still trembled.

Not long after, a third great weeping cry came. Across the endless mountain ranges, every single great peak shook. In this land of soaring dragons, it was as though thousands upon thousands of great dragons had leapt skyward.

“All the mountain ranges are going to overturn! How can one person’s weeping be so terrifying?”

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

Ten thousand peaks shook, great stones crashed down like clouds — as though heaven and earth were being split open from the very beginning!

In that instant, a most peculiar scene unfolded through the endless mountain ranges: the grass and trees withered and then flourished again, as though several cycles of spring and autumn had passed.

In this heaven-reaching land, boundless dragon qi of the great earth coursed between sky and earth, connecting the vault of heaven above and the ground below — the sight was terrifyingly extraordinary.

“Who is weeping like this? This is far too frightening!” Even the Great Black Dog shuddered.

A short while later, all sound ceased. The Tianxuan ruins returned to tranquility with no further noise. All things revived, the withering and wild growth both gone.

Ahead, this primordial ancient land — ten thousand peaks like dragons, ancient trees soaring into the vast sky, old vines draped over entire mountains — was somber, ancient, mysterious, and primordial… with an indescribable aura lingering about it.

The great peaks were towering and majestic, each one grand and vast, and quite a number of great waterfalls cascaded down from the mountains — several thousand meters in length — like a vast expanse of white, incomparably magnificent.

Long after the great weeping had ceased, spiritual beasts finally began to emerge: longevity apes climbed the holy mountains, immortal cranes danced among the white clouds, seven-colored divine deer carried sacred mushrooms in their mouths as they leapt through the air, and many other rare birds and strange beasts whose names could not even be spoken.

“Shall we go take a look?” Li Heishui asked.

“Do not go. The cultivation of the one weeping cannot be fathomed. If we were to anger him, it could bring a catastrophe of monumental proportions.” Divine Physician Wang stopped them.

Could it be the old madman? Ye Fan’s heart was filled with doubt and uncertainty. Yet the weeping sounded somewhat off — it did not seem like something a white-haired, withered old man would produce.

Their hearts were far from calm. They had not anticipated encountering anything like this. That a sacred ground destroyed six thousand years ago could still have someone weeping within it was extraordinary.

“That person’s emotions are very unstable. We’d best not provoke them. Let’s wait a couple of days before going to see what’s happening.” Even the Great Black Dog was badly rattled — showing a rare moment of retreat.

Divine Physician Wang’s place of seclusion was simple and unadorned: a clifftop dwelling, a few thatched rooms, a small grove of bamboo, flying waterfalls, flowing springs.

Nearby, Divine Physician Wang had cleared several plots of medicinal fields and planted them full of spiritual herbs. Even from quite a distance, one could smell the fragrance of medicine.

The few medicinal plots buzzed with bees and butterflies, full of vitality and life. The leaves and blossoms shimmered with flowing light — one glance told you these were exceedingly rare precious medicines.

The Great Black Dog’s drool pooled on the ground on the spot. Divine Physician Wang sternly warned it not to eat or pick anything casually, as some of the extraordinary medicines were violently toxic.

The Black Emperor agreed with its mouth, but that very same day it slipped into the medicinal field. It was poisoned into foaming at the mouth, collapsed to the ground unable to rise, and its whole body convulsed.

Had Xiao Nannan not been playing nearby, passed the medicinal field, and seen its pitiful state — raising the alarm in time — that dead dog would have lost more than half of its life.

“Doggy, don’t eat strange things.” Xiao Nannan blinked her large eyes and gave a solemn admonishment.

“Serves it right!” Li Heishui had not one shred of sympathy, and spat out those two words.

“Woof!” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth while still foaming at the mouth — beside itself with indignant fury.

Ye Fan also felt the dead dog had gone too far — it had barely arrived at Divine Physician Wang’s home and was already stealing spiritual herbs to eat, only to end up poisoned half to death.

Divine Physician Wang had nothing to worry about regarding Ye Fan’s injuries, as the Dao wounds had healed completely. He had been occupied the entire time pondering the matter of Xiao Nannan.

He had shut himself inside the study hall, poring over various ancient texts in search of clues, his brow knitted tightly — because the matter had truly stumped him.

It was not until two days later that he finally pushed open the study hall door and emerged, holding a yellowed ancient notebook in hand. His expression carried a look of astonishment as he sought out Ye Fan.

“Where is that little girl?” He seemed somewhat anxious, his words coming a little unnaturally.

Divine Physician Wang was not only divinely skilled in the medical arts — he was also a great master, among the absolute peak powers of the age, and all Holy Masters treated him with great respect. To see him in such a state was deeply startling.

“What is the matter, senior?” Ye Fan asked.

“It is difficult to say precisely. This little girl is not simple at all — she is difficult to fathom. I need to examine her more carefully.” Divine Physician Wang said.

“She is playing.” Ye Fan pointed toward the flower beds beside the spirit spring in the distance.

Xiao Nannan was very happy — running back and forth, chasing colorful butterflies. Perfectly carved and jade-like, her little face was filled with a pure and innocent smile, her large eyes clear and bright as crystal.

The Great Black Dog lay lazily to one side. When Xiao Nannan occasionally ran past, it would carry her on its back and run in circles for a while — its good temper leaving everyone utterly dumbfounded.

“Damn it. From the first moment I met that dead dog until now, all it’s ever shown is a fierce and greedy face. I don’t know how many times it’s bitten me.” Li Heishui was deeply indignant.

The ferocious Great Black Dog was an entirely different creature with Xiao Nannan, giving both Ye Fan and Li Heishui many thoughts. Their intuition told them the Great Black Dog knew something of the “truth.”

“Nannan, be good. Here — have a spiritual fruit to eat.” Divine Physician Wang offered the little girl a spiritual fruit of golden-yellow, translucent brilliance, fragrant enough to fill the nose.

“Thank you, grandfather.” Xiao Nannan said politely.

Divine Physician Wang examined her pulse carefully, inspecting her from head to toe, then placed a hand on her head. His expression became one of deep uncertainty and astonishment.

“Stop examining her! She’s healthier than anyone — she needs no treatment at all!” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth at the side, appearing very reluctant to have Divine Physician Wang discover anything.

“Grandfather, is Nannan really sick?” Xiao Nannan asked in a small voice, then lowered her head to look at her little shoes. “Nannan always forgets the past. Why does it happen…”

The little girl was downcast — somewhat sad and aggrieved, feeling she was different from everyone else.

“Small children haven’t grown up yet, so of course they easily forget the past. When you’ve grown up, it won’t be like this anymore.” The Great Black Dog said from the side.

“Doggy, is what you’re saying true?” Xiao Nannan’s large eyes were pure and innocent as she asked in all sincerity.

“Of course it’s true. I, the Emperor, never speak falsehoods.”

“Don’t worry, Nannan. You’re not sick at all — perfectly healthy, everything completely normal. When you grow up, it will naturally get better.” Divine Physician Wang stroked his snowy-white beard and said the same.

“Oh. Then Nannan can stop worrying.” The little girl was cheered up again, entirely simple and pure, and went chasing after the Great Black Dog toward the distance.

“What did you discover?” Ye Fan asked.

Divine Physician Wang’s expression became grave. He opened the yellowed notebook, turned to one of the pages, and pointed at an ancient illustration on it. “Look — does it not resemble someone?”

Ye Fan’s expression faltered. In the notebook, an illustration showed a little girl whose eyes were clear and pure, untouched by even a trace of the mortal world’s air — extraordinarily ethereal.

“The resemblance is too uncanny. She looks almost identical to Xiao Nannan!”

He could not help but be astonished. This notebook clearly dated from an ancient time, long past. How could there have been a little girl who looked identical to Xiao Nannan in that distant era? Both were under three years of age, appearing very young and tender. That flawless gaze was without any distinction between them.

“There really is an uncanny resemblance. Though the Eastern Wastelands are vast, meeting someone who looks the same isn’t entirely beyond reason,” Li Heishui said, nodding in astonishment.

Divine Physician Wang shook his head. “You are both mistaken. Look carefully at the record written above.”

“One amnesia every month, vitality ever-enduring…”

Ye Fan and Li Heishui read downward, and both their expressions changed completely. The yellowed notebook’s entry on these few pages was limited, but what it described was beyond comprehension.

An elderly couple with no children of their own had in their old age come upon a pitiful little girl and taken her in with great joy, raising her as their very own, cherishing her as a daughter.

Yet strange things began to happen. Year after year passed without change: the little girl never grew up, and with every full moon she would lose her memory, forgetting everything that had come before.

In the end, the elderly couple passed away one after another, and the little girl remained unchanged. The local people regarded her as a demon, and she nearly died when they attempted to drown her.

A kind-hearted old woman had let her go free. The pitiful little girl wandered to a foreign land, becoming once again a small beggar child, and disappeared into the sea of humanity.

One amnesia every month — her condition was far too similar to Xiao Nannan’s. And she had remained forever young, never changing at all. Xiao Nannan had been exactly this way three years ago, and had still not changed in any respect.

“This… just what is going on?!” Ye Fan’s heart pounded violently. This was too inconceivable. Could these two little orphan girls actually be the same person?

“This is difficult to believe — is this the same condition, or the same person? Just how long ago did this take place?” Li Heishui too was filled with doubt and alarm.

“This notebook has existed for at least two thousand five hundred years. It was left behind by one of my ancestors, and there are some supplemental records further on.”

Two thousand five hundred years of existence… Ye Fan was stunned. Measured against the history on the other end of the star-sea, that would place it in the era before Qin.

Said aloud, it did not sound like much — but contemplating it carefully, it was an extraordinarily long time. Even the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han had not yet been born then!

“Are you certain this is true…” Li Heishui was nearly stammering. If it were accurate, then the origin of Xiao Nannan was far too mysterious.

That ancestor of Divine Physician Wang’s had once passed through the small town where the elderly couple lived and had examined the little girl, but had found no way whatsoever to treat her.

Later, that divine physician made another visit, only to find the elderly couple had passed on and the pitiful little girl had once again become a small beggar, vanishing into the vast sea of people.

The matter did not end there. Several hundred years passed, and in the old age of Divine Physician Wang’s ancestor, during a journey through the ancient city of Zitian, he caught sight of the pitiful little girl once more. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, the impression she left was extremely vivid.

Yet at that time, he was being pursued by enemies and could not stop. He ultimately missed his chance, and when he went looking for her afterward, he could not find her.

This had been a great source of regret for that old divine physician, weighing on him ceaselessly. Within less than half a year, he passed away in seated meditation, leaving behind only a yellowed notebook.

“How can this be possible — it is beyond belief!” Li Heishui’s head ached greatly. He rubbed his own temples forcefully, unable to figure it out no matter how he tried.

Ye Fan thought of Xiao Nannan’s past — that small figure in tattered clothes, little shoes worn through at the toes — and a sense of aching pity rose in his heart.

Could she truly have lived like this all along? Having tasted every bitter and sweet thing the mortal world could offer, having endured the full coldness of the world’s ways — if this was really the truth, what had she gone through all these years?

A little orphan child struggling alone through the vast sea of humanity, not yet three years old, forever forgetting the past — having lived through so long an age of years, she must have tasted every sorrow the mortal world had to offer.

“This is truly beyond all guessing!” Ye Fan sighed with a slight pang in his heart.

“Even Holy Masters cannot live past two thousand five hundred years of age. Yet Xiao Nannan has never changed at all…” Li Heishui pondered without arriving at any answer.

“Divine Physician Wang — did you not find even a hint of a clue?” Ye Fan asked.

“That ancestor of mine, in his final days, returned once more to the subject of this little girl, and in the last page of the notebook wrote a conjecture.”

“What conjecture?” Both Ye Fan and Li Heishui’s eyes lit up.

“He wrote only two characters: Divine Infant!” Divine Physician Wang said.

“What does that mean?” Li Heishui did not understand.

“I do not know either. There is much that has been lost from our lineage. By the time it reached my generation, the medical arts I have mastered are less than one-tenth of what once existed — perhaps not even half of one-tenth.”

“So much has been lost…” Ye Fan was astonished. This old man was renowned as a divine physician, after all.

“Our distant ancestors in the ancient era were even capable of treating Dao wounds, and were saints in their own right. Their descendants cannot compare.” Divine Physician Wang shook his head.

“Then what do these two characters — Divine Infant — actually signify? That predecessor of two thousand five hundred years ago may not have possessed your distant ancestor’s saintly arts, but surely had made one or two guesses.”

“I do not know either. ‘Divine Infant’ likely has some ancient origin or meaning — but alas, more than nine-tenths of the Wang family’s medical texts have been lost, and I cannot say what significance it holds.”

“A Divine Infant enduring eternally in the mortal world…” Ye Fan pondered.

Two thousand five hundred years ago, Xiao Nannan had still been in the central region of the Eastern Wastelands, and had eventually made her way to the Southern Region — she had wandered through nearly half of the Eastern Wastelands.

“Grab that dog and interrogate it! It definitely knows something!” Li Heishui said.

Ye Fan nodded and called out to Xiao Nannan in a gentle voice. The little girl came running back with joy and happiness, her large eyes blinking as she tilted her head upward, her voice very soft and tender. “Big brother, what is it?”

“I’ll cook black dog meat for Nannan to eat later.” Ye Fan smiled and patted her head, then moved with Li Heishui to launch a sudden attack — pressing down on the Great Black Dog.

“Woof… You two are tired of living, daring to challenge the Emperor?!” The Great Black Dog ranted shamelessly.

“Tell us — what is a Divine Infant?” Ye Fan grabbed its enormous square head and large ears to avoid being bitten.

“You know about Divine Infants?!” The Great Black Dog was considerably astonished. This sudden question had clearly caught it off guard.

“Speak quickly, or today I’ll braise you into black dog meat!” Ye Fan pressed.

“Big brother, don’t eat the doggy. Even though it’s very naughty, it’s not bad.” Xiao Nannan had taken it literally and was timidly trying to mediate from the side.

“Woof… Today I’m going to eat the Holy Body!” The Great Black Dog was not the least bit cowed and bellowed its defiance.

“Doggy, be good — don’t say silly things.” Xiao Nannan pleaded, looking a little frightened but still extending her small hand to try to pull them apart.

“Can you eat a Divine Infant? I, the Emperor, know nothing about it — don’t ask me!” The Great Black Dog bared its teeth and barked ferociously.

“Damn it, this dog is just asking to be beaten!” Li Heishui could hold back no longer and swung his large palm down hard across its rear end several times.

“Woof woof woof…” The Great Black Dog raged in frenzied barking. Its great maw stretched wide, snapping at Li Heishui ferociously — nearly swallowing him whole.

“Damn it, and I still got bitten by a dog…” Li Heishui was furious.

The two men pressed it with questions, but the Great Black Dog refused to yield — no matter what, it would not speak a word about what a Divine Infant was. It only barked and raged without stop.

There was nothing they could do. They could not actually cook the Great Black Dog. Instead, they received quite a few bites from it.

“Four days have passed. Shall we go take a look at the Tianxuan ruins?” Li Heishui suggested on the fourth day.

“Let’s go have a look,” Ye Fan agreed, having long wanted to investigate.

The Great Black Dog had been unable to hold back its curiosity even longer. Carrying Xiao Nannan on its back, it went in the lead.

Ahead, a range of towering peaks — a land of soaring dragons, the scene vast and awe-inspiring, the mountain ranges immense and magnificent, rising almost to the high vault of the sky.

They had barely entered this region before they spotted a flood dragon, a qilin beast, and a nine-tailed fox — all extraordinarily rare species — and everyone became carefully alert.

Advancing another hundred or so li, they arrived at the entrance gate of the Tianxuan ruins.

Broken walls and crumbling rubble, utterly desolate — filled with a bleak and mournful atmosphere. A supreme sacred ground, undone in a single catastrophe, had completely become the smoke and mist of history.

“Damn it — there’s a person over there!” The Great Black Dog cried out, staring fixedly at a figure standing like a wooden post inside the collapsed gate. Its entire body — coat of fur as silky-smooth as satin — stood on end. It growled low. “Impossibly, outlandishly powerful!”