Mark felt the warmth transmitted from the stone, and a strange energy flowed through his fingertips. He tried to probe a trace of energy into the stone, but was surprised to find that the stone contained huge energy, like a vast sea of stars, deep and mysterious. This energy was different from any energy he had ever touched before. It was more primitive, purer, and more powerful. Mark's heart moved. Could this be the reason why the little girl cherished this stone so much?
The energy of the stone was transmitted to Mark's body along with the energy input by Mark, and Mark felt that the energy in his body was slowly assimilated. Mark's previous energy had been highly concentrated under the refinement of the second energy fragment. This time, under the influence of the stone, the energy gradually combined like particles. Mark vaguely felt the ice shadow of the ice beast sleeping in the depths of his soul through this energy.
The little girl pulled the corner of Mark's clothes, opened her big watery eyes, pointed outside the cave, and motioned Mark to leave. The light outside the cave shone in through the gaps in the vines, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground, and also reflected on the little girl's face, making her look more pitiful.
Mark nodded, put the stone in his arms, and then bent down to pick up the little girl. The little girl was very light, like a feather. Her body was still trembling a little. She hugged Mark's neck tightly, as if seeking a sense of security. Mark held her, carefully pushed aside the vines blocking the cave entrance, and walked out.
After walking out of the cave, the little girl slid down from Mark's arms, pointed in a direction, and insisted on going there. Her little hand pointed to the east, where there were rolling mountains. In the morning sun, the outline of the peaks was clearly visible, and the white snow on the top of the peaks shone in the sun, like pearls inlaid on the top of the mountain.
Although Mark was puzzled and didn't understand how the little girl could tell the direction, he still chose to believe the little girl. He took the little girl's hand and followed her in that direction. The mountain road was rugged and covered with gravel and thorns, but the little girl's steps were extremely firm. She held Mark's hand tightly, as if she was afraid that he would leave.
They walked along the mountain road for a long time, and the surrounding scenery gradually changed. The originally dense forest gradually became sparse, replaced by low bushes and some unknown wild flowers. There was a faint fragrance in the air, refreshing.
After walking for a while, they came to a hidden valley. The valley was surrounded by towering peaks, the valley bottom was covered with green grass, and a clear stream meandered, the stream tinkled, like a beautiful movement played by nature. A thin layer of mist filled the valley, like a fairyland.
Mark noticed that there was a strange blue plant growing in the valley. This plant is about half a meter tall, with oval leaves and serrated edges, and blue flowers, shaped like a string of bells, swaying gently in the breeze, making a pleasant bell sound. These blue plants are continuous in the valley, like a blue ocean, and they look particularly beautiful under the sunshine.
The little girl cheered, broke free from Mark's hand, and ran quickly to the blue plant. She had a bright smile on her face, as if she had found some treasure. She ran to the bushes, carefully picked a few blue plants, and then ran back and handed them to Mark. These blue plants exuded a peculiar fragrance, fresh and elegant, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
The little girl handed the blue plant to Mark with an expectant smile on her face, and her big black eyes flashed with excitement. She pointed to the blue plant and then to her mouth, making a sound of "ah...ah...", as if telling Mark that these plants were edible.
Mark took the blue plant and observed it carefully. The leaves and flowers of the plant exuded a faint blue fluorescence, which was particularly dazzling in the sun. He sniffed gently, and a fresh fragrance came to his nose, which made him feel refreshed.
"This, can you eat it?" Mark pointed to the blue plant and confirmed with the little girl.
The little girl nodded vigorously, then picked up a blue plant, put it in her mouth, and ate it with relish. She ate it very sweetly, with a satisfied smile on her face, as if she was tasting the delicacy of the world.
Mark watched the little girl eat so sweetly, and he was a little curious. He hesitated for a moment, picked a leaf and put it in his mouth. The leaf tasted cool, with a hint of sweetness, and the taste was very unique.
"It tastes good." Mark said, and picked another blue flower and put it in his mouth. The flower tastes sweeter than the leaves, and there is a faint fragrance that makes people linger.
The little girl saw that Mark also liked to eat this blue plant, and smiled happily, revealing two cute little tiger teeth. She picked a few more blue plants and handed them to Mark.
Mark took the blue plant and said with a smile, "Thank you." He sat on the grass with the little girl, eating blue plants while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the valley. The sun shone on them, warm, and the breeze blew, bringing bursts of floral fragrance, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
Mark finished eating the blue plant in his hand, stood up, and moved his stiff limbs. "Let's go." He said to the little girl.
The little girl nodded, stood up, and patted the grass on her body. She pointed to the exit of the valley and motioned Mark to follow her.
Mark and the little girl walked out of the valley along a winding path. After walking out of the valley, there was a vast plain in front of them. In the distance, the outlines of some buildings were vaguely visible.
"Where is it?" Mark pointed to the distant building and asked the little girl.
The little girl tilted her head and thought for a while, then drew a circle on the ground with her finger, and drew a few vertical lines, as if she was describing the appearance of a house. She pointed to the pattern on the ground and the building in the distance, making a "Yiyayaya" sound, as if explaining something.
Although Mark didn't understand what the little girl said, he understood what the little girl meant, telling him that it was a place where people lived. He touched the little girl's head and said, "Let's go and see."
The little girl smiled happily, took Mark's hand, and ran towards the distant building. Mark followed the little girl and trotted all the way across the plain, heading towards the building.
After running for a while, they came to a small river. The river water was clear and the riverside was full of green plants. The little girl stopped, pointed at the river, and motioned Mark to stop. She bent down, scooped up some river water, and drank it.
The little girl drank a few sips of the clear river water, wiped the wet corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, and then put her hand into the water, as if catching something. The river water was clear and the pebbles and swimming fish at the bottom of the river could be clearly seen. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves on the river, sparkling, and ripples appeared on the water. Several dragonflies danced on the water, their light wings crossing the water, leaving faint ripples.
She flexibly fished out a silvery-white fish from the water, and the fish jumped around in her hands, splashing crystal water droplets. The little girl handed the still twisting fish to Mark, her big black and bright eyes full of expectation, as if she hoped that Mark could also taste the taste of this river fresh.
Mark waved his hand, indicating that he would not eat it. He was not very accepting of this behavior of eating fish and shrimp raw. He looked at the little fish in the little girl's hand, imagining the slippery touch and fishy smell, and his stomach couldn't help but churn.
The little girl saw this and didn't force it. She shrugged, put the little fish into her mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp. She chewed it for a few times, and a satisfied look appeared on her face, as if she had eaten some delicious food. Then she wiped the fish scales and water stains left on the corners of her mouth with her sleeve, turned around, and pointed to the building in the distance again, motioning Mark to move forward. The building appeared clearer under the sunlight, and the outlines of some roofs and walls could be vaguely seen.
Mark nodded to show that he understood. He took the little girl's hand and prepared to wade across the stream. The river was not deep, only up to the calf, but the stones at the bottom of the river were a bit slippery, and it was easy to fall if you were not careful.
The little girl broke away from Mark's hand and ran to a big tree next to her. The tree was lush and leafy, with a thick trunk, and it took two people to hug it. The bark was rough and covered with traces of time. She tiptoed and picked a broad leaf from the tree. The leaf was emerald green, with smooth edges, as if it had been carefully cut, and was larger than the little girl's face.
She ran back to Mark with the leaf, handed it to him, then pointed to her feet, then pointed to the river, and made a sound of "ah...ah...", as if explaining something. She repeated this action with a hint of anxiety in her eyes, as if she was worried that Mark didn't understand what she meant.
Mark took the leaf and instantly understood what the little girl meant - wrapping her feet with leaves to avoid getting her shoes wet. He looked at the leaf in his hand, then at the little girl's bare feet, and his heart was filled with emotion. Although this little girl lives in such a difficult environment, she still maintains kindness and innocence.
Mark followed the little girl's example, wrapped the leaf around his feet, and fixed it with a slender grass stem. Although this method looks a bit crude, it is much better than getting your shoes wet. He and the little girl carefully waded across the stream. The stones at the bottom of the river were slippery and the water was cold, but they supported each other and walked steadily to the other side.
After reaching the other side, the little girl untied the leaves on her feet and threw them aside. She took Mark's hand, pointed at the building in the distance, shouted excitedly, and then took small steps and ran towards the building. Her figure was light and agile, like a deer in the mountains, running and jumping in the sun.
Mark followed the little girl closely, his heart full of anticipation and curiosity. He didn't know what was waiting for them ahead, but he had a vague premonition that this journey would be full of surprises and challenges. He looked at the back of the little girl running happily, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Wait for me!"
"Wait for me!" Mark shouted, speeding up to keep up with the little girl.
The little girl looked back at Mark, slowed down, and waited for him to catch up. When Mark ran to her side, she grinned, showing her white teeth, and then ran forward again.
After running for a while, they came to a relatively flat and open area with low shrubs and sparse weeds. In the distance, several tall trees with lush branches and leaves were vaguely visible, swaying gently in the breeze.
The little girl suddenly stopped and pointed to a tree full of red fruits in front of her, shouting excitedly: "Ah! Ah!"
Mark also saw the tree, the fruits were full, bright in color, and sparkling in the sun, very tempting. He walked forward, picked a fruit and observed it carefully. The fruit is oval, smooth on the surface, and smells faintly sweet.
The little girl picked a fruit from the tree, put it directly into her mouth, chewed it with a big mouthful, and a satisfied expression on her face. She picked a few more and handed them to Mark.
Mark hesitated for a moment and took the fruit. He imitated the little girl, put the fruit into his mouth, and took a light bite. The flesh is delicious and juicy, sweet and sour, and tastes very good.
"Is it delicious?" Mark asked, looking at the little girl, and pointed to the fruit in his hand.
The little girl nodded vigorously, picked another fruit and handed it to Mark.
Mark smiled and shook his head, indicating that he was full. Seeing this, the little girl put the fruit back into her mouth and continued to chew it with big mouthfuls.
After eating a few fruits, the little girl seemed to have recovered some strength. She pointed to the building in the distance again, signaling Mark to move forward.