stonecrandall Chapter 41 Crimson Sparrow
Chapter 41 Crimson Sparrow
Suddenly, a streak of crimson lightning ripped across the sky, dazzlingly beautiful, instantly turning the entire sky as red as a sunset.
Amidst this splendor, a tiny bird, no bigger than a palm, yet crystal clear and so red it seemed to drip blood, suddenly plummeted straight down from the heavens, finally crashing headfirst into the lightning-struck tree at the edge of the village.
"Oh, Little Red!"
The appearance of the sparrow startled Shi Hao, who was immersed in sadness, and he quickly got up and ran towards the sparrow.
This bird was entirely crimson. Although all its divine light had been contained after it landed and its crimson feathers had become somewhat dull, it instantly scorched a patch of ground the moment it hit the ground, like a small, moving furnace, radiating a heart-palpitating heat.
However, its current condition is extremely miserable. A hideous wound runs through its waist and abdomen, almost severing it in half. On its head, several deep claw marks are shocking, nearly piercing its skull.
Even more terrifying, these wounds faintly flickered with horrifying and eerie runes, which continued to erode its already weak vitality.
Seeing this, Shi Hao immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to Shi An, who had come with him, saying urgently, "Brother An, can you save it?"
Upon hearing Shi Hao's request, Shi An also looked down to check on the sparrow on the ground.
After a long silence, Shi An shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Hao, I cannot heal its wounds right now."
"Is that so...?"
Seeing that Shi An couldn't cure her, a hint of disappointment flashed in Shi Hao's eyes, but he quickly rallied and turned to the huge lightning-struck tree, saying, "Willow God, can you save Little Red?"
Upon seeing this scene, everyone else, especially Shi Yunfeng and several elderly people, froze instantly, as if they had been frozen in place.
Even the strong young men like Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao felt their hair stand on end, their feet seemingly nailed to the ground, not daring to move an inch, their hearts filled with fear of the little red bird, afraid that they might accidentally provoke it.
After all, not long ago they had seen a small, fiery red bird battling fiercely in the vast mountains, the raging fire almost burning down half the sky. The horror of the scene was deeply etched into their souls, unforgettable for a lifetime.
Now, this crimson bird has fallen from the sky, turning the horizon a brilliant crimson, just like the sunset pouring down.
Without needing to think too much, everyone felt a chill run down their spines and were certain that this was most likely the incredibly powerful and terrifying being.
"Child, come here quickly."
Thinking it over, Shi Yunfeng unconsciously whispered, trying to call Shi Hao back, lest he accidentally anger the little red bird.
However, Shi Hao did not care about this. Instead, he blinked his bright eyes and explained to Shi Yunfeng, "Grandpa Clan Chief, it's okay. I know Xiao Hong is very powerful, but I can't sense any killing intent from it. It shouldn't have any ill intentions towards our Shi Village."
Just then, the crimson sparrow, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly opened its round eyes, opened its mouth and spat out a faint ray of light, which landed on a huge rock like a stream of light.
"puff!"
A wisp of smoke rose, and the huge rock, like ice melting under high temperature, slowly melted into a pool of scorching lava, flowing freely on the ground, emitting a suffocating heat that burned one's cheeks, as if one were in a raging fire.
This scene immediately sent chills down the spines of everyone in Stone Village. It was just a faint ray of light, not a real flame, yet it already displayed such terrifyingly high temperatures.
Recalling what I saw back then, the raging fire burned fiercely for a long time, and finally raged for several days. What a devastating and earth-shattering power it was!
In an instant, everyone's heart leaped into their throats, and they couldn't help but feel a chill for Shi Hao. Shi Feijiao and the others moved forward cautiously, trying to pull him away to prevent any mishap.
Unfortunately, Shi Hao did not comply with their wishes. Instead, he continued to speak to the little sparrow, "Little Red, don't be angry. Look at you, your head is starting to smoke. You'd better be careful with your beautiful red feathers. It would be such a pity if they got burned off."
Upon hearing this, the little red sparrow's crimson feathers on its head instantly shone with a dazzling light, standing upright like burning flames, clearly indicating that it was extremely angry.
But just a moment later, it miraculously calmed down, its eyes filled with a strange light as it stared intently at Shi Hao, as if trying to see through him.
"Grandpa, look, Xiaohong is actually very kind, she doesn't throw tantrums anymore."
Seeing that Que'er had calmed down, Shi Hao immediately smiled happily. His smile was pure and sweet, as if it could dispel all the gloom in the world.
Then, he turned his head again, looking hopefully at the lightning-struck tree, "Willow God, is it possible?"
Seeing this, the fiery red sparrow seemed to disregard the runes flashing on its chest and abdomen that were destroying its life force. It flapped its wings with all its might, stood up with difficulty, looked up at the lightning-struck wood, and its eyes were full of pleading.
Before long, the willow branch that had been swaying in the wind quietly drooped down, radiating a soft and mysterious pale green glow.
Seeing this, the crimson sparrow chirped softly, dragging its wounded body forward with difficulty, and faced the tender green willow branches, deliberately exposing its hideous wounds, while extinguishing the last trace of fire on its body, as if it were seeking help in a humble manner.
Immediately afterwards, a drop of crystal-clear sap, as clear as jade, quietly condensed on the branch, shimmering like morning dew. Accompanied by a fragrant aroma, it made everyone in Stone Village feel refreshed and relaxed, as if all their fatigue and worries had been swept away.
Willow branches drooped, tender buds lightly touched the fiery red sparrow, and transparent sap slowly slid down, seeping into the horrifying wound, instantly causing the wound to blaze brightly, with runes flashing continuously, as if engaged in a fierce struggle.
The little sparrow chirped softly, its body trembling slightly, as if it were enduring immense pain, each second feeling incredibly difficult.
The willow branches swayed, and then several drops of sap emerged one after another, rolling among the tender buds. Each drop was crystal clear, like pearls from heaven, shimmering with light and exuding a refreshing fragrance.
As the fluid dripped down, the constantly flashing runes gradually disappeared, and the wound that pierced his chest and abdomen miraculously closed.
In just a moment, the little red bird felt its pain lessen considerably, and a glimmer of life rekindled in its eyes.
Then, the tender green shoots slowly drooped down to the little red sparrow's head, and the glistening sap dripped down again, landing on the claw holes on its head, causing those terrifying claw holes to gradually disappear.
At this point, the severe injury suffered by the little red sparrow was completely healed.
In an instant, the firelight blazed, and the little red bird was surrounded by a crimson glow, shining so brightly that it was hard to look directly at it. Endless divine light flowed around it, making it look radiant and dazzling, completely different from its previous lifeless appearance, as if it had been reborn.
The villagers of Stone Village were horrified. The crimson sparrow, no bigger than a palm, was now exuding an overwhelming divine power, like a god descended from ancient times. It emanated a chilling aura, causing everyone to feel an invisible pressure bearing down on them, their legs going weak and almost collapsing to the ground.
Fortunately, at this critical moment, the lightning-struck wood emitted a soft halo, like an invisible shield, which neutralized the terrifying power of heaven and allowed everyone to stabilize themselves.
As for those further away, such as near the tranquil lake, rare and exotic creatures that are usually uncommon, like the five-colored bird and the unicorn, are now bowing and worshipping in this direction like devout believers on a pilgrimage, their postures extremely respectful.
With its injuries fully healed, the little red sparrow was overjoyed and chirped a few times. Its clear and melodious voice sounded like a cheerful piece of music.
Then, it withdrew its divine power and hopped around on the spot, looking very lively. Finally, it turned to the lightning-struck wood and spoke in a clear, bell-like voice: "I owe you a great favor."
Unfortunately, the lightning-struck tree remained standing there silently, making no sound, only gently swaying its tender green branches, slowly pointing towards the people of Stone Village.
The little red sparrow understood and slowly turned its head, its gaze falling on everyone.
"Clang!"
In the next instant, a crimson feather fell from the little red sparrow, flowing with a lightning-like light, extraordinary and wondrous. With a "whoosh," it precisely embedded itself in a rock not far away.
The moment the red feather pierced through, the rock melted instantly, turning into a pool of scorching magma. Crimson light flowed around it, the liquid surged and gushed, and the magma area continued to expand, creating a spectacular sight.
At the same time, a clear and melodious sound, like jade beads falling onto a plate, rang out and lingered in the air for a long time.
"Keep this feather safe. If anyone comes looking for trouble in the future, you can show it to them as a warning!"
Clearly, this is a gift given as a token of gratitude.
However, upon seeing the wing, instead of taking it, everyone took two steps back, because the temperature emanating from the wing was too high, and they felt that they would be burned if they got any closer.
The little red bird was taken aback by everyone's reaction. Then it looked at the crowd and then at the wing that was radiating intense heat, and then it suddenly realized what was going on.
Once it understood, the little red sparrow immediately opened its beak and gently inhaled. Instantly, its crimson feathers shone brightly and flashed intensely, and then strands of divine light, like nimble threads, flew up and slowly entered its mouth.
Soon, it absorbed all the spirit from the crimson feather, leaving only a single, still bright red but no longer burning hot, ordinary feather. Then it nodded gently to the lightning-struck wood, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky, instantly transforming into a crimson streak of light as it flew towards the distant horizon.
Seeing the little red sparrow fly away, Shi Hao quickly stood at the village entrance, waved vigorously into the air, and shouted, "Little Red, come and play often!"
Upon hearing this, the crimson sparrow staggered in mid-air and nearly fell to the ground.
After regaining its footing, it immediately turned around, glared fiercely at Shi Hao, and then burst forth with brilliant rays of light. Without looking back, it rushed into the distance and disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.