"You two little fellows."
Ye Xuan walked over slowly, smiling as he spoke.
"You've done a decent job guarding the place these past three months."
Ye Xuan pointed to Willow Deity behind him.
"Go on. Master has something to tell you."
At his words, both little beasts trembled.
Willow Deity was going to guide them? This was an incredible opportunity!
Without the slightest hesitation, they scrambled over to the willow tree and knelt respectfully beneath it.
The willow twigs swayed gently.
Profound thoughts flowed into their minds, one after another.
They concerned the true meaning of the Divine Fire Realm—the orthodox method, which even those in the Upper Realm might never encounter.
Willow Deity did not teach them any earth-shattering divine abilities. She merely offered some pointers on refining their bloodlines and igniting their Dao fires.
But to the two beasts, who had been stuck in the Venerable Realm for years, it was like clouds parting to reveal the sun.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"
Furball was so excited that its golden fur glowed all over. It could feel an opportunity to break through.
Little Red's body blazed with pure divine fire, and its originally impure bloodline was refined in that instant.
If they cultivated according to this method, they would be able to ignite their divine fires within a few months, transcend the Venerable Realm, and become true gods!
The two little beasts bowed frantically to the willow tree, their eyes brimming with gratitude.
They had thought being captured as pets was a terrible humiliation.
Now, though...
How was this being kept as a pet? They'd clearly latched onto a powerful backer!
Forget guarding the place—if they were told to go shovel manure in Stone Village right now, they'd do it willingly!
Ye Xuan watched from the side and nodded slightly.
Give them a smack, then a sweet date.
Now these two Venerable-level fighters had truly pledged their loyalty.
In the blink of an eye, another three months passed.
Beneath the willow tree in Stone Village, Ye Xuan sat quietly on the smooth bluestone, worn down by the passage of time.
At that moment, no earth-shaking phenomena surrounded him, nor did dazzling divine light shine from his body.
He looked plain and unremarkable, like a piece of warm, uncarved jade, all his sharpness concealed within.
But beneath that calm exterior lay an unfathomably deep ocean.
"Peak of the Venerable Realm."
Ye Xuan slowly opened his eyes. The Chaos Qi within his Double Pupils flowed several times faster than before.
Over the past three months, he had studied the Primal True Scripture and the Six Paths Samsara Heavenly Art day and night, bringing all he had learned together into one.
The Array Formation within him had long since been perfected. Innate Dao Patterns were engraved into every bone and every inch of flesh.
Now, he stood at the pinnacle of cultivation in the Eight Lower Realms.
One more step, and he would ignite his divine fire, transcend the mortal world, and become a god!
Ye Xuan could clearly sense that final barrier.
If he wished, he could draw upon the laws of heaven and earth at any moment—or find a kindling flame to ignite his essence, energy, and spirit, entering the realm countless cultivators dreamed of reaching.
"Divine fire..."
Ye Xuan raised his hand. A faint flame flickered in his palm.
It was his projection of his own Dao Fruit.
But in the next instant, his fingers clenched, crushing the illusory flame.
"No!"
"To ignite myself with an external object would ultimately be an inferior path."
Ye Xuan shook his head.
In this world, igniting one's divine fire usually required an external "kindling flame."
The stronger the flame, the greater one's potential after becoming a god.
But he had the Double Piercing Gate, Chaos Heavy Pupils, and an Innate Physique from the Primordial Wilderness.
If he took the ordinary path, even igniting his divine fire with immortal flames would be unworthy of his Human Emperor destiny.
"My path shouldn't be limited by heaven and earth."
"The human body is a universe. Why seek anything outside it?"
Chaos Qi grew denser in Ye Xuan's eyes as he glimpsed a possibility of what lay ahead.
Seed of the Self.
Rely on nothing external. Unearth the treasures within oneself and let the purest Dao fire emerge from within the body.
This was the perfect path of evolution, and the one best suited to the Innate Human Race's physique.
"For now, I'll hold it back."
Ye Xuan drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to break through.
He compressed the surging divine power within him again and again.
The divine power, once as violent as rivers and seas, was forcibly condensed into viscous mercury and settled throughout his limbs and bones.
His foundations grew even more unfathomable.
Just as Ye Xuan had stabilized his realm—
"Rumble!"
A muffled explosion suddenly sounded nearby.
It was as if a volcano deep beneath the earth had erupted.
A vigorous, domineering golden aura, brimming with youthful vitality, shot into the sky and scattered the clouds above.
Ye Xuan turned to look.
Little Shi Hao was hovering in midair, his small body erupting with an energy that made the heart quail.
Behind him—
One, two, three...
A total of eight Cave Heavens, like volcanic craters, lined up one after another, connecting head to tail and forming a dazzling Divine Ring that hung behind his head.
Eight Cave Heavens!
Each Cave Heaven frantically swallowed Heaven and Earth Essence, while lava-like runes flowed within them.
This was his Dao Fruit, won through battles and trials in the Great Wilderness.
He was still young, his face still tender.
But at that moment, Little Shi Hao already possessed the air of someone who could swallow mountains and rivers and stand supreme above all.
He was a Young Supreme!
"Eight Cave Heavens already."
Watching this, Ye Xuan smiled with satisfaction.
Three months ago, the little fellow had only just opened Five Cave Heavens.
Now he had opened three more in succession. If word of this speed got out, the self-proclaimed geniuses of the outside world would be so ashamed they'd kill themselves.
"Phew—"
Little Shi Hao slowly landed, and the Divine Ring behind him faded from view.
He opened his eyes, which shone like two golden lamps.
"Big brother! I've gotten stronger again!"
Little Shi Hao excitedly swung his fist, and the air cracked under its force.
"Even if ten more Cave Heaven Realm Fierce Beasts showed up, I could beat them all with one hand!"
"Not bad. You haven't been slacking."
Ye Xuan nodded in approval.
"But don't get cocky. Eight Cave Heavens are only the beginning. Your goal is Ten Cave Heavens, or even..."
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said it.
"Unique Cave Heaven."
Little Shi Hao nodded as if he understood, committing the goal to memory.
As the brothers discussed their cultivation insights—
On a tree branch not far away—
Two pairs of eyes stared blankly at them, filled with despair and disbelief at what life had become.
They belonged to Zhu Yan and Little Red.
These two Venerables, who had once been fearsome figures, had recovered much of their strength and were on the verge of igniting their divine fires.
But looking at the two "monsters" before them, they were utterly numb.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp... This life is impossible!"
Furball clutched its head, looking utterly dejected.
It had cultivated for hundreds of years and gone through countless trials of life and death to become a Venerable.
And these two humans?
One was holding back his breakthrough, while the other had gained three Cave Heavens in three months.
Was it as easy as eating and drinking?
Where did that leave the pride of Primordial Remnant Species like them?
Nearby, Little Red—Vermilion Bird—was even more on edge.
She was a beautiful and proud divine bird.
Over the past three months, she had watched Ye Xuan eat Qiongqi and Sky Swallowing Sparrow meat every day.
Well... she had eaten some too, but the fear in her heart had only grown day by day.
Before you continue