In this era, darkness covers the world.
Glowing creatures are rare, and when they do appear, it usually means danger—something to be feared and avoided at all costs.
In the vast wilderness, many dangerous beings lie in wait.
To expose oneself in such a perilous environment and shine brightly without fear is undoubtedly a sign of confidence, likely indicating great strength.
Qin Ming silently slipped down to the base of a tree, hiding in the shadows of the dense forest, his heart uneasy.
This was no ordinary glowing creature; it illuminated the night sky.
In a time without sun or moon, such a sight was astonishing.
“Moon Worm!” he had heard of it before.
The elders often told the younger generations that in a distant ancient time, there were once suns and moons. When they saw the confused looks on the children's faces, they would use the Moon Worm as an example.
“If one day you unexpectedly see a Moon Worm, you will know what the moon looks like.”
When the Moon Worm appears, no one needs to say anything; everyone knows it's there because it stands alone in the night sky.
At first, the light rose slowly and softly, and Qin Ming thought he saw a vague outline of a worm, perhaps due to his preconceived notions.
Now, however, it was too dazzling; there was no hint of a worm's shape. The light intertwined, resembling a brilliant disk, as if a divine crown was shining down, illuminating the night sky.
Crickets do not know the passage of time, and normally, few insects can survive the winter to see the next year.
According to the elders, the Moon Worm had migrated to this area over fifty years ago, residing deep within the majestic mountains, rarely seen in the outside world.
By local customs, it had long been recorded as a “famous worm” that had stood tall for fifty years in the mountains.
People believed that its true essence might rival that of ancient beasts or mountain lords that had existed for even longer.
Qin Ming was lost in thought. Was this how the moon looked in that distant ancient time?
In the night sky, it seemed as if a heavenly lamp was hanging high, shining brightly and casting a pure light that fell upon the dark mountains and filled the shadowy wilderness, quickly dyeing the area a soft silver.
This was completely different from what he had seen before; the heavy darkness of the mountains was entirely dispelled.
The whole world felt different. As Qin Ming gazed at this beautiful sight, he couldn’t help but yearn for the ancient times when there were suns and moons. What kind of world was that?
He knew that the Moon Worm only illuminated the two low hills nearby, far less than a true bright moon, which was said to shine from thousands of miles away, casting a vast light across the sky.
At this moment, everything was silent. Whether it was the wild boar king, the mysterious creature hunting it, or other birds and beasts, they all lay quietly in hiding.
Suddenly, a flash of light streaked across the sky, and the Moon Worm vanished. The nearby area quickly lost its glow, and the forest fell back into endless darkness.
Qin Ming felt a hollow emptiness in his heart, followed by a strong desire. When would he be able to come and go like the Moon Worm, with no night blocking his path?
He couldn’t afford to think too much. Taking advantage of the various fierce beasts being stunned and not daring to roam freely, he sprang into action, pulling along the antlered deer and the donkey-headed wolf over the low hills, quickly fleeing.
Deep in the mountains, a chilling howl rang out, then abruptly stopped. It seemed a powerful creature had been killed where the Moon Worm had dived.
The forest was silent, whether it was the extraordinary beasts or the mutated “famous birds,” none dared to make a sound.
Shuishu Village was in sight, and Qin Ming returned successfully with his prey.
As he approached the village entrance, he looked back. The wilderness was vast and dark.
The colorful scenes from earlier still lingered in his mind, and he felt a bit dazed. The bright moon of ancient times once illuminated the colorful clouds; where was it now?
“Gurgle!” A sound came from his stomach, and a strong hunger pulled him back to reality. He realized he was thinking too much about things that felt distant; he needed to focus on filling his belly.
In this cold weather, only a few children were running around at the village entrance, unwilling to stay at home.
“Brother Qin, did you go into the mountains... and hunt the antlered deer all by yourself?” A skinny boy exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
The faces of the other children were flushed from the cold as they gathered around, shocked to see the heavy black donkey-headed wolf, which weighed several hundred pounds.
They stared at the two pieces of prey, unable to resist swallowing hard.
“Come to my house for some meat later,” Qin Ming said with a smile.
He moved like a gust of wind, dragging the two pieces of prey back home.
He had been holding back all the way and was eager to experience a life of raw meat and blood. He quickly boiled water and called for Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing to help.
“Little Qin, you’re hurt?” Liang Wanqing noticed the bloodstain on his shoulder at a glance.
“It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious,” Qin Ming shook his head.
Lu Ze checked for him and saw that the wound wasn’t deep and had already formed a scab, so he felt relieved.
Soon, the small courtyard was filled with a rich aroma as large chunks of meat boiled in the iron pot, and the deer legs roasted over the fire dripped with fat.
Qin Ming’s stomach rumbled; he couldn’t wait any longer. He cut a thin slice from the deer leg with a small knife, not caring about the heat, and popped it directly into his mouth.
“It’s cooked and tastes great! Wen Rui, did your uncle fulfill your wish today?”
Wen Rui took a bite, his eyes sparkling with delight, nodding like a little chick pecking at rice, “So delicious! I forgot how long it’s been since I had meat. Uncle, you’re amazing!”
Qin Ming called Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing to eat first, saying they could clean up the leftover meat later.
Two-year-old Wen Hui couldn’t bite into the roasted deer leg yet, so he could only eat the boiled meat paste that had been mashed up, pouting in disappointment while watching, making everyone laugh.
Qin Ming was in a critical period of rebirth, his body sending out strong signals, craving meat intensely. Now, as he devoured the food, he finally felt satisfied.
At this moment, a few children peeked in from outside the courtyard, their little faces dirty, drawn in by the smell of meat. They looked eager, their eyes shining, but hesitated to come in.
Qin Ming waved, saying, “Didn’t I call you when we were at the village entrance? Come in and eat together.”
“Thank you, Brother Qin.”
“Uncle, you’re so nice…”
The children expressed their gratitude shyly as they entered the courtyard, quickly stuffing their cheeks like little hamsters, mumbling about how good the food was.
“Slow down, there’s plenty more,” Liang Wanqing said, worried the kids might choke, and served them some meat soup.
Qin Ming felt his flesh and blood rejoicing, like rain falling on a parched land, countless new sprouts breaking through the soil, and everything was coming to life, bursting with vitality.
He could clearly feel his tendons growing, his joints occasionally cracking, and his senses becoming exceptionally sharp, his spirit growing more vibrant.
After being reborn, his body was truly experiencing a new life!
Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing had already put down their bowls, but Qin Ming was still eating heartily, his appetite like a bottomless pit. His manner of eating was a bit frightening, and he was sweating profusely, steam rising around him.
“His body is being reborn and undergoing intense changes!” Lu Ze was astonished. He hadn’t expected Qin Ming to continue from yesterday until now, and it was still accelerating. What level was this approaching?
The children couldn’t eat anymore, their bellies round and full, their faces showing immense satisfaction.
Qin Ming noticed they seemed a bit shy, smiling, “Are you all full? Then go play.”
Soon, news of his hunt for the antlered deer and the donkey-headed wolf spread.
The villagers were surprised; the wilderness was very dangerous at this stage, and many people didn’t dare to enter the mountains anymore. How did he manage such a catch?
Especially since the mutated donkey-headed wolf had a fearsome reputation; it was hard for ordinary people to survive an encounter with it.
Qin Ming was just over sixteen; how could he handle such a beast weighing several hundred pounds?
“Could it be he has been reborn in his golden age?”
Before long, many people came to Qin Ming's small courtyard, asking him about the situation in the mountains.
If it was safe, they were also preparing to go hunting.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” a little girl with patched clothes said softly.
In this winter with scarce food, the roasted meat in the courtyard smelled especially rich. Some children hid behind their parents, looking eagerly.
Qin Ming understood the feeling of hunger. Seeing those little faces turned red from the cold and looking pitiful, he quickly waved, “Come over and eat together.”
The children didn’t sit down immediately; instead, they looked to their parents first, being quite simple and reserved.
Qin Ming continued, “Uncles and aunts, I won’t invite you all to eat here, but I’ll make sure each family gets five pounds of meat to take home.”
“Little Qin, you can’t do that…”
“It’s settled,” Qin Ming said. With only a few dozen households in the village, there was enough to share.
“Little Qin is really too kind. We should quickly find him a beautiful wife; he’s about that age now.”
“That’s not urgent,” Qin Ming hurriedly waved his hand.
The courtyard was filled with laughter, and the group of children was the happiest, sitting together with shiny faces as they ate.
…
“Little Qin, tell me the truth, have you been reborn?” Yang Yongqing asked.
Before the night fell, he had seen Qin Ming, and it hadn’t been long since they parted. The fact that Qin Ming could kill the mutated donkey-headed wolf shocked him.
Qin Ming smiled and nodded, saying, “Didn’t Uncle Yang say a noble girl would come down? I wanted to improve myself and make a good impression. Plus, encountering danger in the mountains stimulated me, and my body kept heating up, and suddenly I was reborn.”
“You little rascal, you’re not being straightforward,” Yang Yongqing chuckled, pointing at him.
Everyone present knew it was all because Qin Ming had an extraordinary physique and had accumulated enough strength.
“Being reborn in the golden age, this hasn’t happened in our Shuangshu Village for decades!” Old Liu, who lived at the village entrance, exclaimed.
Everyone knew what this meant; it was a remarkable achievement in this area, with limitless possibilities for the future.
In this freezing weather where one could breathe out and see ice crystals, Qin Ming’s body felt like a furnace, growing hotter and hotter. A lot of sweat poured out, and he was soon enveloped in white mist.
“His vitality is so strong, much more intense than when I was young,” Yang Yongqing said, his beard trembling in surprise.
He understood that Qin Ming was accelerating his rebirth from head to toe, sweeping away the old like autumn and winter, and sprouting new life like spring and summer.
The stickiness on his skin was the old, dead cells being shed, while inside, vitality flourished, his blood glowing, as if he had returned to the womb, nurturing a vigorous new life force, reopening the limits of his body.
Qin Ming felt drowsy. After eating and drinking his fill, it felt like he was about to fall into a special “winter sleep,” his eyes almost closing.
He asked Lu Ze to distribute the meat to each family while he followed his body’s instincts, preparing to go inside and sleep deeply.
“Old Granny Zhou is being buried today; help me take some extra meat to the Zhou family,” Qin Ming said, fighting off sleepiness, rinsing his body with cold water before lying down on the bed.
Others were surprised but didn’t feel it as deeply.
Yang Yongqing, having seen many things, noticed that Qin Ming was enveloped in a white mist, and the strong heartbeat sounded like a drum, shaking him to the core!
Most importantly, Qin Ming was still in the process of “rebirth,” and it was far from over.
Could it be that after this rebirth, Qin Ming might have a chance to get closer to the famous young people in that bright city far away?
Soon, Yang Yongqing shook his head again. No matter how good his foundation was, it couldn’t compare to the accumulation of others over three generations. Moreover, those people were already exceptionally outstanding.
As for the recent stunning boy and girl from that city, who had surpassed the reborn of the golden age, he thought it was not even worth comparing.