Heroes' Prison

Chapter 1042 - 986 Shangri-la

In the next moment, the scene before his eyes suddenly opened up!

Below was a vast valley, with flat lands and fertile fields. Some crops and fruit trees were planted in the gardens, and a clear stream flowed gently through.

In the middle of the valley was a small village, probably consisting of only a few dozen households, with some earth-brick houses and thatched cottages, ancient and simple.

At this moment, some villagers were leisurely strolling through the countryside, at ease. A few children were chasing and playing, their laughter crisp. The sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard, peaceful and harmonious.

This scene formed a stark contrast with the villages and towns outside, destroyed by the Demon Clan!

Seeing such a place, even Huang Yi inexplicably wanted to let go of worldly affairs, to escape the war-torn world outside, and to hide here, living a life undisturbed by worldly concerns.

"[System Prompt]: You have discovered the Peach Blossom Spring, Experience Points +300000."

Peach Blossom Spring!

No other name could be more fitting!

This Shangri-la, isolated from the world, surrounded on all sides by massive peaks, hidden amid the rugged mountains of the Peak Giant Mountain Range, was impossible to find even if one wanted to.

At this time, while the outside world was being ravaged by the Demon Clan, this place remained unaffected, maintaining its original tranquility and harmony!

Until today, it welcomed its first stranger, Huang Yi!

The cave where Huang Yi stood was midway up a cliff face, positioned neither high nor low. Not wanting to disturb the peace here, he did not use his wings to fly down but instead put away his weapons, grasped a hanging vine with both hands, and climbed down to the valley below, heading towards the small village.

Here was a grove of pink peach trees, evergreen through the seasons, with peach blossoms blooming at every moment, their fragrance filling the air. Some peach trees even bore transparent, crystalline peaches, looking luscious.

A small stream flowed through the middle of the peach grove, with schools of little fish swimming back and forth, occasionally surfacing to eat the peach blossoms falling from the trees.

The fragrant grass on the banks was lush, with fallen petals scattered around, dew on the tips of the grass sparkling in the light. Occasionally, one could hear the crisp chirping of insects and birds.

Such serene and elegant scenery unconsciously relaxed Huang Yi’s mind, making his steps lighter, and in no time, he arrived at the village entrance.

At the village entrance stood a massive banyan tree, as thick as it would take more than ten people to embrace, with lush branches and leaves. Hanging aerial roots touched the ground, entangling with each other, gnarled and winding, full of ancient charm.

Under the tree was a large stone, polished smooth by the many people who sat there to cool off over the years. At this moment, several children were playing there, the bright sunlight filtering through the dense foliage, casting onto their faces and illuminating their smiles even more brilliantly.

When they saw Huang Yi approaching, they all widened their eyes, showing expressions of surprise.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" A child about fifteen or sixteen immediately stood up from the stone and asked Huang Yi. His tone was slightly different from the outside world, but still understandable.

The other children also stood up, all looking at Huang Yi with curiosity. Their gaze was clear and pure, untouched by dust, full of childlike innocence, like clear springs in the mountain stream.

"I came here accidentally," Huang Yi said in a calm tone, trying to convey he had no ill intentions, "Can you take me to meet the adults in your village?"

"Sure!" The fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy nodded, and together with the group of children, climbed down from the stone and began leading Huang Yi into the village.

As they walked, they frequently turned back, constantly observing this outsider Huang Yi, occasionally whispering to each other and then laughing innocently again.

Huang Yi suddenly noticed that these children were slightly different from ordinary people outside; their shoulder blades were all slightly raised, even pushing up their clothes.

This scene immediately made him think of wings!

If a human-shaped race grew wings, they would emerge from the shoulder blade area. However, judging by the extent to which these children’s shoulder blades were raised, it didn’t seem enough to develop a full pair of wings. He couldn’t understand what was happening.

Carrying intense curiosity, Huang Yi followed the children into the village.

The village was more lively, with a few chickens and ducks walking around pecking at food as if there weren’t anyone around. A few dogs, seeing the children coming, wagged their tails and approached, placing their front paws on them to play. But upon seeing the outsider Huang Yi, they hesitated to come forward.

Soon, the adults in the village also noticed Huang Yi, and were immediately astonished!

Everyone stopped what they were doing, came out of their houses, and surrounded this outsider, Huang Yi, with eyes full of curiosity.

They seemed to have been isolated from the outside world for so long that each person’s expression was very simple. Even the old people did not show a trace of having experienced worldly affairs and vicissitudes; they were as pure as children.

They wore very primitive coarse cloth and linen clothes, with the areas around their shoulder blades slightly raised, supporting the fabric.

"Are you from the outside?" At this moment, an elderly white-bearded man, the oldest among the crowd, stepped forward, examining Huang Yi as he asked. He was vigorous and showed no signs of the frailty associated with old age.

"Yes! I accidentally found a cave, and after crawling in, I ended up here..." Huang Yi briefly explained how he discovered this place, then asked his question: "Why do you live here?"

The old man stroked his long white beard, circled around Huang Yi, and slowly said, "Our ancestors secluded themselves here to escape the war chaos of the Oskan Empire, and since then, our descendants have never gone out. Is there still war outside?"

"Oskan Empire?!" Huang Yi was startled upon hearing this name!

This was the greatest empire of the Ancient Times! It was also known as the last large empire in the history of The Second World, with an immensely vast territory and ruins scattered across all continents of today’s Second World.

However, this empire eventually perished, disappearing into the vast river of history. Only its directly attached Royal Academy was passed down, gradually becoming the core power of The Second World, which is the Oskan Royal Academy.

The ancestors of these people actually came here to seclude themselves during the Ancient Times, peacefully surviving through several Eras, avoiding countless catastrophes.

"The Oskan Empire has long since fallen, and even the Eastern Continent and Western Continent have shattered into hundreds of pieces..." Huang Yi briefly explained the situation outside.

"It has changed so much!"

"The continents have actually fragmented!"

"We don’t even know if the legendary Feather Nest Mountain of our ancestors still exists."

The crowd was momentarily bewildered, whispering and discussing. It was the first time in countless years that news from the outside world had arrived here.

"Young man, you’ve traveled over mountains and waters to get here, you must be hungry! Why not come to my house as a guest, have a meal and rest for a while." The white-bearded elder invited Huang Yi.

"Sure! Thank you!" Huang Yi nodded; indeed, he was a bit tired.

The white-bearded elder smiled kindly, stroking his beard as he turned to instruct the surrounding villagers and children: "Zongzi, Flower, you two go to Peach Blossom Creek and catch some grass carp, and pick a basket of Spirit Water Peaches along the way; Dong Yang, Shou Shou, slaughter two chickens and bring some goose eggs; Little Gray Rabbit, you and your father bring two jars of Aged Peach Blossom Wine and dig some Earth Potatoes and lettuce from the garden; Yu Yu, Jing Feng, the two of you climb Condensed Emerald Cliff and pick some Swan Mushrooms, and bring down two Pine Swallow Nests; Old partner, you personally go light the fire and set up the stove..."

Soon, the villagers enthusiastically began preparing this sumptuous lunch.

Huang Yi then followed the white-bearded elder to his home.

The house was by a bridge over a small creek, consisting of several ancient thatched cottages. All the utensils were made of wood and stone, clean, tidy, simple, pure, comfortable, and pleasing.

In front of the house was a tall fig tree, with wide leaves that shielded the noonday sun, casting a green shade. Under the tree were two rattan chairs, worn smooth, as if someone had often sat there, gazing at the distant mountains, watching the Sun rise and set.

Huang Yi went directly under the tree and sat in one of the chairs, leaning against the slanted backrest, comfortably gazing at the distant green cliffs.

Several ancient pines grew from the cliff, covered in exotic flowers and plants, with a small waterfall cascading from the center, like a poetic landscape painting.

"This place is simply an immortal realm!" Huang Yi sighed from the bottom of his heart, feeling as if his entire soul had been uplifted, with all the previous slaughter and bloodshed fading away.

"That’s why our ancestors chose to seclude themselves here, to no longer be involved in the hustle and bustle of outside conflicts!" The white-bearded elder said, sitting down in another chair. The raised shoulder blades gathered together in the middle, like a cushion propping against the backrest, with the back of his head comfortably resting on it.

Watching the raised shoulder blades, Huang Yi’s curiosity rekindled, and he couldn’t help but ask: "What are the things growing on your backs?"

The elder pursed his lips, glanced at Huang Yi, hesitated for a moment, and said, "They are degenerated wings."

"Degenerated?" Huang Yi was slightly taken aback, feeling even more curious, "Why did perfectly good wings degenerate?"

Staring at the distant peaks, the elder said softly: "Because... we are the descendants of the Feathered Race."

"Feathered Race?!" Huang Yi was immediately astonished, nearly jumping up from the chair, "Could it be the Feathered Race of the God Sealer Johns?"

"Indeed!" The elder nodded, stroking his white beard, "Johns, ah! He was the greatest clansman in the history of our Feathered Race, who once led us into the most prosperous era. But it was also because of him that our Feathered Race declined."

————

When the previous Chapter was first released, I saw that some readers had already guessed it was the Peach Blossom Spring. "The Peach Blossom Spring Story" is a piece I loved most during my student days. Last year, during a period of low spirits, I particularly longed to seclude myself in such a place, but in reality, there is no such place, so one can only indulge in fiction within books. The names involved in the above text are mostly reader-supplied extra names.