Time passed slowly, the sun gradually set, and the mist from the waterfall refracted a faint rainbow in the sunset.
The stone finally reached the bottom of the cliff. It only needed to climb two more steps to grab the rocks at the top.
He took a deep breath, and with his last ounce of strength, he used both hands and feet to push upwards with all his might—
"Bang!"
His hand finally touched the rocks at the top of the cliff, and the rough texture filled him with joy.
But at that moment, the prolonged physical exhaustion and mental tension suddenly erupted, and his vision went black.
His body went limp and he collapsed, the abyss stone on his back rolling down to the flat ground at the top of the cliff, where he instantly lost consciousness.
"Stone!" Xiong An, who was below the cliff, reacted immediately and ran towards the top of the cliff.
Xiong Yue and Xiong Huai quickly followed. When they climbed to the top of the cliff, they saw the stone lying on the ground with its eyes closed, its face pale, but a satisfied smile on its lips.
The abyss stone rolled to the side, and the wound on his back had stopped bleeding. Pale golden runes moved slowly under his skin, as if repairing his body.
"Fortunately, he just fainted from exhaustion; his vital organs weren't damaged." Xiong Yue checked Shi Tou's pulse, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Xiong An, "Carry him back to the village and let him rest properly."
Xiong An nodded, carefully picked up the stone, and walked towards the village.
As the sun set, their shadows stretched long, and the waterfall at the top of the cliff still roared, but seemed a little gentler than before.
Stone slowly opened his eyes, feeling sore all over, yet also experiencing an unprecedented sense of ease.
The fatigue from carrying water and the excruciating pain from climbing seemed to have vanished, replaced by a feeling of being full of strength.
He tried to raise his hand and felt that his arm was full of explosive power. He could feel the muscles tightening when he clenched his fist, which was much stronger than before.
"Awake?" The door to the wooden house was pushed open, and Xiong Yue and Xiong An walked in. Xiong Yue was carrying a bowl of steaming meat soup.
Shi Tou sat up, scratched his head, and grinned sheepishly: "Village Chief, Brother Xiong An, I... I climbed to the top yesterday?"
"Not only did I reach the top, but I also set a new record. I reached the top on my first visit and lasted for a whole afternoon. That's much better than what I did in Xiong'an!"
Xiong Yue's eyes were full of admiration. "How are you feeling now? Is there anything different about your physical body?"
Stone stretched his limbs and exclaimed in surprise, "I feel... I feel full of energy!"
"I used to find carrying water heavy, but now I can easily carry two buckets! The wound on my back doesn't hurt anymore, and it even seems to have gotten stronger!"
Xiong An laughed and patted the stone on the shoulder: "This is the effect of 'carrying the stone against the waterfall'. You reached the top on your first try, and the physical training you received was stronger than what others get after half a month of training."
"Moreover, the golden runes on your body seem to be able to help you absorb the power of the water and repair your body. This is a treasure."
Stone touched his arm; the golden runes on his skin had disappeared. He didn't know what they were, only that they were magical.
He looked at Xiong Yue and Xiong An, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Village Chief, Brother Xiong An, can I still train under the waterfall in the future? I want to become stronger!"
Xiong Yue smiled and nodded: "Of course! But this time we need to proceed step by step, and we can't push ourselves like we did last time."
Upon hearing this, Shi Tou's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded quickly, "Thank you, Village Chief! I will definitely practice hard!"
Sunlight streamed into the wooden house, making it warm and bright.
Shi Tou knew that his path to becoming stronger had only just begun. As long as he worked hard enough, he would one day be able to find his senior sister Jiang Li. He didn't want to be the one who needed protection and held back.
On the stone table outside the wooden house, a plate of glistening, oily meat had just been served, and its rich aroma instantly filled the air.
That was "beast leg meat" unique to the Abyss Bear Domain. The meat was firm, with a faint blush of blood between the muscle fibers, and it was steaming hot when it came out of the oven.
One bite and you can taste the delicious juice. More importantly, the meat contains pure physical energy, which is very beneficial for building a strong physique.
When Shi Tou saw the plate of meat, his eyes lit up instantly. Ignoring the heat, he grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
The moment the beast meat entered their mouths, a surge of scorching energy slid down their throats into their stomachs, instantly spreading throughout their limbs and bones.
It made him feel warm all over, as if his blood was rushing through his veins, and even the fatigue from climbing the waterfall earlier dissipated.
He ate very quickly, his cheeks bulging, his mouth slick with oil, and with each bite, you could feel his muscles trembling slightly.
It felt like absorbing energy from the flesh, making my blood boil, and I couldn't wait to find someone to fight and release this surging power.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
Xiong Yue sat to the side, watching Shi Tou wolf down his food, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"This beast meat can nourish the body. You have just experienced the 'lifting the stone against the waterfall' and you need this to replenish your strength."
"Oh, by the way, there's a 'physical duel' in the village later. Anyone can go on stage, but there's only one rule."
"You can only fight with your bare hands; you're not allowed to use spiritual power or magical artifacts. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"Physical combat?" Stone asked, his mouth still stuffed with meat, his words muffled, but his eyes suddenly brightened even more.
He was just looking for a place to test his current strength, and this physical arena was tailor-made for him!
He swallowed his food and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I want to try and see just how good I am now!"
Seeing Shi Tou's decisiveness, Xiong Yue laughed even more heartily: "Good! I like your drive, just like the men of our Shenyuan Xiong Domain! After we finish eating, we'll go and show you the strength of the young people in the village."
In no time, the plate of bear meat was completely devoured by Stone.
He wiped his mouth, feeling an inexhaustible surge of energy, and followed Xiong Yue toward the arena in the center of the village.
Along the way, many villagers hurried toward the arena, their faces full of excitement, discussing today's competition:
"Who do you think will win today? Last time, Xiong Li knocked Xiong Shan off the stage with a single punch!"
"It's hard to say. Xiong Hu has been training really hard lately. He might be able to go toe-to-toe with Xiong Li!"
Soon, the two arrived at the edge of the arena.
The arena was built from a single piece of black stone, about ten feet high. The surface was rough and covered with fist marks and scratches of varying depths, clearly the result of years of fighting.
The stands surrounding the arena were already packed with villagers, a sea of black, with cheers and shouts rising and falling, creating an atmosphere so exciting it made one's blood boil.
At this moment, two young men were fighting on the stage.
The young man on the left was burly and muscular; he was Xiong Li, the man the villagers were talking about.
The young man on the right is slightly thinner, but more agile; he is Xiong Hu.
The two didn't use any techniques; it was purely a physical clash. Xiong Li threw a punch at Xiong Hu's chest, but Xiong Hu dodged to the side.
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