Outside Stone Village
"Disaster! Old Thirteen, Yi'er has been whisked away by that strange sacrificial spirit in Stone Village using some eerie spatial power!"
A white-haired elder, his thin frame pacing anxiously, tugged at his beard in frustration. His wiry body hopped about like a skinny bamboo pole, radiating agitation.
"Yi'er is the future of Martial King Manor, destined to rule the Desolate Domain. We can't afford to lose him. We must find him at once!"
Another white-haired elder spoke, his rotund figure a stark contrast to his companion. His large belly jiggled like a Maitreya Buddha, forming a comical pair with the lanky elder beside him.
By all accounts, as supreme beings of the mortal realm—Venerable Realm experts, the pinnacle of Lower Realm strength—their physiques should have been balanced and harmonious. Yet, their contrasting appearances stemmed from the unique cultivation techniques they practiced, which molded them into one fat and one thin.
In the Stone Kingdom, their fame paled compared to Old Fifteen, Shi Hao's grandfather, Shi Zhongtian, known as the Great Demon King—a title that even the Stone Kingdom's Human Emperor held in awe. Though both Old Nine and Old Thirteen were Venerable Realm experts, together they couldn't hope to defeat Shi Zhongtian alone.
Before Shi Zhongtian earned his fearsome title, however, these two had their own modest monikers: Fat Venerable and Thin Venerable.
"How do we find him? That willow tree spirit in Stone Village is a god. Everyone in the village, including Yi'er, calls it Liu Shen. You know as well as I do that any spirit daring to claim the title of 'god' is no ordinary being. Worse, we have no idea where Yi'er is!"
Old Thirteen patted his round belly, frustration evident in his voice. He felt powerful yet powerless, wanting to act but finding no path forward. As one of the five great ancestors of Martial King Manor, known as Fat Venerable, he possessed heaven-defying strength, capable of lifting a thousand-meter mountain weighing billions of tons with one hand.
"A god in the first ancestral land? How could such a spirit exist here?" Old Nine calmed slightly at the mention of a god, but his bamboo-thin frame seemed to lose strength, collapsing onto the dusty ground.
He, too, was one of the five great ancestors, called Thin Venerable—a monstrous figure who could devour mountains and rivers yet never gain weight, forever insatiable.
Their concern was not unfounded. The word God was not to be used lightly. It signified omnipotence, supremacy beyond mortal reach.
In ancient times, the earliest humans held deep faith, revering their sacrificial rituals. They believed gods existed, ready to answer their calls in times of need, protecting their tribes. This belief gave rise to sacrificial spirits.
In truth, later generations discovered that the entities worshipped by these tribes were not gods but powerful creatures—pureblood beasts like true rocs, qilins, or the purest pixiu. These were the pureblood creatures, the mightiest of archaic beasts.
In those distant eras, ancient humans worshipped these creatures, offering sacrifices and reverence, and in return, they received protection. But as humanity grew stronger, ancient kingdoms rose, and their ambition—their defiance—became apparent.
To grow stronger, humans began hunting archaic species and even the young of pureblood beasts, using their true blood to baptize their heirs. This betrayal fractured the bond between humans and pureblood creatures. Many pureblood beasts, enraged by the slaughter of their young, retaliated, devouring millions in vengeance.
Yet, these creatures were not true gods. The people of the Great Wilderness learned of true gods—those behind the immortal sects and eternal traditions of the Lower Realm, like Ageless Mountain, Heavenly God Mountain, or Archaic Divine Mountain. Human ancestors had witnessed these gods in action, wielding terrifying power to reshape the heavens and earth.
To Old Nine and Old Thirteen, any being daring to claim the title of god was undoubtedly heaven-defying, capable of annihilating entire ancient kingdoms with a gesture. The might of a god was unimaginable, far beyond the reach of mortals like them. Human Emperors, supreme in the mortal realm, were still mere mortals—nothing compared to a divine being.
Stone Village revered a charred, broken willow tree, its body near death, as Liu Shen. The spirit itself did not reject this title, a fact that spoke volumes. Only a fool would fail to grasp the implications.
Since ancient humans had severed ties with pureblood beasts, many sacrificial spirits in human territories now had ties to the Upper Realm—linked to true gods. These spirits, often descendants of divine beings, were cautious about such titles. Without igniting their divine flame, they would never dare call themselves gods, bound by a strict hierarchy.
Yet this dying willow tree accepted the title without protest, suggesting its strength was so immense it transcended such rules. Old Nine and Old Thirteen speculated it might be an ancient god in its twilight years, descended to the Lower Realm to live out its final days.
They dared not voice this theory aloud.
"There's no need to worry about Shi Yi. As a fledgling, he must learn to fly on his own. He cannot remain under your wings forever. In a month at most, or half a month at least, he will return."
A divine voice, neither male nor female, echoed in their minds without warning, startling them. Trembling, they knelt before the willow tree in Stone Village.
"We heed the divine oracle!"
___
Deep in the Vast Wilderness, Cangmang Mountain Range
"Not a bad deal, honestly. Liu Shen is truly stunning!"
Shi Yi rubbed his chin, his eyes glinting as he schemed. The fleeting glimpse of Liu Shen's divine form was etched into his soul, a memory he refused to let time erode.
He couldn't help himself. Fighting and killing held little appeal for him. If this world didn't demand strength to avoid being an ant, he'd likely skip the grueling medicinal baths and body forging altogether. But now…
Seeing Liu Shen's true form had ignited a spark in him. Merely clinging to her coattails was no longer enough. I'm going to bring her home as my wife! The goal seemed daunting, but it gave Shi Yi a purpose. His former laid-back, carefree attitude began to fade.
As his resolve hardened, a massive beast stealthily approached from behind—a ten-meter-tall, spotted tiger.
"Roar!" Its thunderous cry shook the air.
Before the echo faded, its gaping maw lunged at Shi Yi, drawn by the enticing scent of his flesh. The tiger sensed that devouring him might elevate it to a wild variant or even awaken its faint archaic bloodline.
In the Great Wilderness, the hierarchy was clear: wild beasts, wild variants, archaic species, and pureblood beasts. Even the young of the latter could obliterate the former.
Unfortunately for the tiger, it had underestimated Shi Yi. His usual restraint in killing gave it the false impression he was an easy target.
In truth, since completing his baptism in the Blood Transformation Realm, Shi Yi could swing his arm with a force of 108,000 jin, rivaling the strength of a pureblood beast's cub. Three years later, he had entered the Heavenly Passage Realm, opening six passages. This tiger was no match for him.
As expected, sensing the tiger's approach, Shi Yi released his suppressed aura, instantly shifting from Blood Transformation to Heavenly Passage Realm.
Boom! The heavens trembled.
Six solid, volcano-like passages materialized behind him, greedily absorbing the divine essence of the world, transforming it into a crimson torrent that surged into his body.
The Heavenly Passage Realm was not just a cultivation stage but a method of practice. Passages drew in the essence of heaven and earth, birthing runes that revealed the world's order and rules, as if recreating a small universe.
Opening a passage connected the cultivator to the greater cosmos, allowing them to refine divine marrow from the boundless void. This amplified the power of their techniques and ensured an endless supply of energy, keeping them at peak vitality. Unless engaged in an excessively brutal battle, exhaustion was impossible.
These passages also served as personal storage spaces. Shi Yi kept a bone fragment inscribed with the Primordial True Record within his.
"Self-service barbecue? Tiger brother, you're too kind."
Shi Yi spun around, dodging the tiger's bite with lightning speed—not out of fear, but disgust at its drool. With a light leap, he landed atop the ten-meter beast's head. Before it could react, he flicked its skull.
Crack! The sound of shattering bone rang out.
Thud! The tiger's massive body collapsed, its eyes frozen in fear and confusion. It couldn't comprehend how Shi Yi, whose aura had seemed so weak, had become so powerful. Nor did it understand how it died—just a sharp crack, then darkness.
"The head's no good—too bloody. The organs are a hassle to clean, and the hind legs are too tough. Front legs will do for a quick meal."
Muttering to himself, Shi Yi deftly retrieved a full set of cooking utensils from his passage—pots, pans, spices, even firewood. Using a sharp stone knife, he skillfully skinned and carved the tiger's front legs, a technique learned from Stone Village's hunting team.
"More cumin, less chili. Sigh, I've become just like my little brother. I wonder how he's doing in Martial King Manor after three years."
The two five-meter-long, skinned tiger legs sizzled over the fire, their aroma wafting hundreds of miles, drawing countless wild beasts. But seeing the six radiant passages behind Shi Yi, glowing like miniature suns, they kept their distance.
What if this ferocious human isn't full and decides to make us dessert?
_
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