Rediscovering daylight, the three stood under the sun, savoring its rays to the fullest.
Gu Sheng took out the small tripod, voraciously absorbing the essence of sunlight until there wasn’t a trace of Yin Qi inside. Only then did he put it back in his body and set out with the two again.
After traveling tirelessly, the three finally returned to Stone Village at dawn.
Seeing the busy crowd, Shi Lou joyfully shouted, "Fellow villagers, we’re back!"
Upon hearing his voice, everyone turned their heads to look.
Seeing them, the people of Stone Village showed ecstatic expressions and quickly came forward to greet them.
"Gu Sheng, you’re back! Are you hurt?"
"Let us see where you’re injured?"
"You must be tired from the journey? Come sit down and have a good rest."
Listening to everyone’s concerned chatter, Gu Sheng and the other two felt warmly comforted.
After being pressed into seats, Gu Sheng finally found the opportunity to speak.
"Don’t worry, everyone. We are all unscathed."
As soon as he spoke these words, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.
"It’s good that you’re not hurt, it’s good that you’re safe."
"As long as you’re safe, that’s all we need."
The crowd looked at them with concern, showing their care without reservation.
From start to finish, they only worried about the three of them, never mentioning anything about the Shadow Wood.
After resting for a moment, Gu Sheng got up, found a vacant spot, and took out the Shadow Wood.
"Fellow villagers, from today on, I will rebuild Stone Village with everyone. With this Shadow Wood, Stone Village will no longer be vulnerable."
Seeing the pile of Shadow Wood forming a small hill, everyone was stunned.
"Gu Sheng, this... this..."
"That’s right, this is the Shadow Wood we brought back. It’s enough to expand Stone Village to double its size, so use freely, don’t hold back."
"I can’t believe you really brought back the Shadow Wood."
"You all must have suffered a lot on the way?"
After being asked, Shi Lou stood out and said: "Er Gou and I didn’t suffer at all. It was all Brother Sheng who, alone, defeated the water monster and retrieved it from the icy, bone-chilling stream."
Hearing this, everyone was astounded.
"Gu Sheng, you encountered a water monster?"
"Yes, but the monster was not strong, and I killed it. There’s no need to worry about details. The fact that the three of us brought back the Shadow Wood unscathed is a good thing."
Gu Sheng sketched over the dangerous parts, leading everyone in planning for the future.
Grateful, everyone entrusted the duty of rebuilding Stone Village to him.
During planning, Gu Sheng intentionally included those rescued from the Soul Training Cave.
"From now on, you’re members of Stone Village. Now that we’re rebuilding Stone Village, you all should have your own place to settle. This area is planned for expansion and will be yours in the future. Please unite with us, and provide your efforts for Stone Village at crucial times."
Upon hearing this, they nodded continuously.
"Don’t worry, Brother Sheng, from now on Stone Village is our home, and everyone here is our family. We will never let you down!"

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