The Void God Realm

Of course, the one everyone praised the most was Shi Lin. One uncle even shouted, "Child, you're not so little anymore. You'll be eight in a few months, and you're so capable. It's time you found a wife. What do you think of my Hu Niu?"

Shi Lin was mortified. "Uncle, I'm still... still young."

Shi Linhu glared at him. "Young, my foot! Your old man was already married at twelve, and I wasn't half as capable as you are now. With your skills, you're more than ready."

The children all snickered, waggling their eyebrows at Shi Lin. Little One laughed the hardest.

Shi Linhu glared at them. "What are you laughing at? You're not so little anymore, either. It's time you started thinking about it. Da Zhuang, Er Meng, Pi Hou—you've all made tremendous progress these past two years and grown strong. It's time you got married, too."

"That's right, you're all old enough," one of the clan elders agreed.

"What?!" the children cried, all blushing with embarrassment as the bonfire cast a ruddy glow over their faces.

Such talk wouldn't have fazed the others, but Shi Lin could barely take it. A few little girls behind him were practically cornering him.

"Grandpa and Father said I'm supposed to get engaged to you. When are you going to agree?" Shi Feijiao's daughter asked loudly.

"What?!" Shi Lin scratched his head, feeling a little dizzy.

What a stroke of luck! Shi Lin thought.

Over on the other side, Hu Niu wore her hair in little braids. She was even younger than him, but with her hands on her hips and her eyes wide, she shouted, "Big Brother Shi Lin, when are you going to marry me?"

"When did I ever say I was going to marry you?" Shi Lin nearly fled. He really couldn't handle this.

"Hahaha..." All the adults burst out laughing.

That night, the clansmen had a wonderful time. They ate until late into the night, talking at length and telling all sorts of mysterious tales from the Great Wilderness that filled the children with longing.

The only disappointment was that the Pangolin had destroyed itself at the last moment. Its Primitive Treasure Bone and scales had shattered, leaving behind no precious technique.

The latter half of the night was anything but peaceful in Stone Village. A group of children howled like ghosts without stopping. They'd given in to their appetites and eaten a few too many pieces of the Sacrificial Spirit's flesh. Their bodies glowed, and they were burning hot, so they ran all over the village before finally jumping into the lake to cool off.

The clan elders had clearly warned them that each person could eat no more than two pieces and mustn't stuff themselves with it as though it were an ordinary meal. Yet this was what happened anyway.

It wasn't until daybreak that the children and some of the young adults climbed out of the lake with dark circles under their eyes, then slunk home in disgrace.

"Hahaha..." Some of the clansmen had risen early. Seeing the scene, they all burst into laughter.

Without a doubt, this Sacrificial Spirit was extraordinary. Its body contained a powerful essence, making its flesh a precious medicine that could effectively improve the clansmen's physiques.

Back then, when they'd unexpectedly obtained Suanni's corpse, the entire village had eaten the whole thing. Their physiques had improved tremendously as a result. Otherwise, how could all those children have learned Bone Text?

One had to know that even a tribe of ten thousand people would struggle to find a single Blood-Moving Realm expert, yet all these children had the potential to reach that level in the future. Clearly, the Primordial Remnant's flesh had played a tremendous role. It was so difficult to obtain that it was worth a fortune. Even the greatest tribes wouldn't dare covet one lightly; a single misstep could get the whole tribe wiped out.

That was because Suanni wasn't an ordinary Primordial Remnant!

And though this Sacrificial Spirit couldn't compare to Suanni, it was no ordinary creature, either. It had a great origin, coming from the mysterious Little Western Heaven. It was far beyond the old Sacrificial Spirit of Wolf Village.

In truth, the Pangolin should have been even stronger than it had appeared in battle. It had only been defeated because it had gravely wounded itself to nourish and revive the golden Bone Shears.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and the villagers had managed to eat the enormous Sacrificial Spirit down to the last scrap.

The children's strength soared, and their mastery of Bone Text grew profound. The result stunned the elders. In the end, they all smiled so broadly that they nearly pulled out their snowy-white beards.

During this time, Little One broke through into the Cave Heaven Realm, opening three cave heavens at once. He was only a tiny bit behind Shi Lin.

The people of Stone Village showered Little One with praise, and another round of offers to give him their daughters followed. In the end, Little One fled in disgrace, too.

A few adults also made breakthroughs, including Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao. In fact, they'd been studying Bone Text even longer than the children. The clan chief had taught it to them after returning from the outside world, but they'd long since passed the golden age for cultivation, so their achievements hadn't been impressive.

Over the past few years, they had first gained the astonishing bodily treasure that was Suanni's corpse, and now this extraordinary Sacrificial Spirit. Their flesh contained far too much divine essence, greatly improving their physiques.

As a result, the cultivation and foundations they'd built up over the years gradually began to bear fruit. Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao advanced into the Blood-Moving Realm, reaching a high level with deep reserves of strength.

Everyone couldn't help but marvel. The Primordial Remnants and the mysterious Sacrificial Spirit from Little Western Heaven truly were extraordinary. They were rare treasures of flesh and blood, worth more than anything—no one would ever agree to trade them away.

A few more months went by. It had been almost a year since Willow Deity fell asleep, and Little One was now eight and a half.

Over this long stretch of time, Little One had stewed the Sacrificial Spirit's flesh into a precious medicine and used it to help him open a fourth "volcanic crater" behind his back. "Magma" flowed from it, and surging essence rolled within, making it profoundly mysterious.

"Progress is so slow. Nearly a whole year, and I've only opened one more," Little One muttered, feeling that cultivation was getting harder and harder.

When the old clan chief heard this, he was speechless for quite a while. At last, he wiped away a bead of cold sweat and told him that it was already a miracle. Many people made no progress at all in their entire lives. Even those with exceptional talent might go several years without reaching the next level.

"Is that so? Then I'm relieved." Little One smiled happily and stopped frowning.

In the Cave Heaven Realm, one opened an undying passageway within or outside the body, or a Pure Land, or even a world. Through it, one could connect to the boundless void and seize the creation of Heaven and Earth, causing the divine power of one's body's runes to surge and keeping it at its peak.

According to the old clan chief, Little Shi Hao was already an exceptional expert in the Cave Heaven Realm. He had built four undying passageways.

"Some people spend their whole lives with only one passageway. They use it to draw power from the great world and can still enter the next major realm, but it's very difficult for them to reach the summit. Once they've achieved that much, they're already nearing the end of the road," the old clan chief explained.

Most powerful cultivators began to focus on building up their foundations after opening four or five "cave heavens," waiting for the day they could erupt with endless rune power from within and push themselves into the next major realm. After the bandits were wiped out, no other bandit groups appeared, and Little Western Heaven made no move. Perhaps they assumed the Pangolin and the other Primordial Remnants had ended up in the bellies of beasts in the Great Wilderness.

During this time, the people of Stone Village had gone out once and dug up the black gold hidden by the bandits. It was only half a meter across, but weighed tens of thousands of pounds. This precious material could be used to forge weapons and was also a rare metal capable of suppressing arrays. The fact that the bandits had gathered half a cubic meter of it showed how many massacres they'd committed over the years. They must have countless lives on their hands.

Throughout the year, Shi Lin went out every day to battle the Primordial Remnants in the mountains, repeatedly grinding through fights, familiarizing himself with precious techniques and practicing heavenly arts.

Over the year, Shi Lin had grown taller. At eleven and a half, he was 1.67 meters tall—already quite tall for his age.

After a year of training, Shi Lin had smoothly reached the Eighth Cave Heaven. He was an unparalleled genius, the likes of which the Great Wilderness had never seen.

The children of Stone Village all idolized him, treating him like a god.

Half a month later, a gentle breeze swept by and ripples dotted the emerald lake. The willow tree at the entrance to the village, dormant for a year, suddenly glowed. Green radiance soared into the sky, shrouding the entire mountain range in a hazy halo.

"Ah, Willow Deity has awakened!"

The villagers cried out in surprise, then rejoiced. With their Sacrificial Spirit revived, they would no longer have to worry. They believed Willow Deity could hold off even powerful foreign beasts if they attacked.

At that moment, everyone—men and women, young and old—rushed over to offer sacrifices and worship the willow tree.

"Crack, crack."

The old bark fell away. At the spot where the bulge had appeared earlier, brilliant green light blazed as several new branches pushed out, each one fresh and dripping with green. In an instant, luminous mist swirled around them and countless rays of auspicious light shone.

The willow tree was reborn. Four more branches sprouted, growing rapidly until they were several meters long, just like the first.

The five willow branches shone with a lustrous green light, radiating the glow of Order Divine Chains. They enveloped the entire land, mysterious and unfathomable, carrying an astonishing aura.

The clansmen were overjoyed. Willow Deity had grown even stronger. Part of the charred trunk had actually turned green again, brimming with life. Its emerald glow spread outward, filling the world with a rich aura of vitality.

"Willow Deity... are you well?" one clan elder asked in a trembling voice.

"I am well. My slumber is over," Willow Deity replied telepathically. It drew in its divine radiance, and the green light receded from the mountains like a tide, leaving the range as it had been.

Stone Village celebrated that day, and the whole place was alive with excitement. With Willow Deity there, they no longer needed to fear revenge from the bandits.

"You did well. You actually killed a Sacrificial Spirit. It was no simple foe. It had surpassed the Cave Heaven Realm; its foundations were simply shattered. Otherwise, you would have been in grave danger." From a few bones left behind by the Pangolin, Willow Deity had discerned what had happened.

"Nowadays, I can take care of anyone an entire realm above me with ease!" Shi Lin said confidently.

"With your abilities, that's only natural."

"Willow Deity... what do you mean?" Shi Lin was confused.

Willow Deity did not answer.

Little One came over.

"Willow Deity, I've already opened four cave heavens. According to Grandpa Chief's 'potential theory,' I want to open even more." Little One's eyes shone with eager hope.

After they spoke for a while, the willow tree understood. Its branches swayed as if gently shaking their heads. "So the Eight Cave Heavens are the limit? That's only the human standard. The Nine Cave Heavens aren't merely recorded in ancient texts. They truly exist."

"What?" Little One cried out in surprise and earnestly asked for guidance.

"Back in the Primordial Era..." The moment the willow tree began to speak, Little One immediately knew it would be measuring things against the realms of the strongest Primordial Ferocious Beasts. That was a terrifying standard.

Sure enough, the willow tree continued, "In the Primordial Era, Taowu, the Vermilion Bird, Taotie, and the others believed that nine cave heavens made one king in the Cave Heaven Realm, but ten cave heavens were the limit—the true sovereign of this realm."

Little One was astonished. This was a terrifying claim, far beyond the standards currently accepted by humankind.

"Living in the Great Wilderness is too isolating. You'll have little chance of meeting true geniuses, let alone fighting life-or-death battles of world-shaking significance against the young of True Hou and their ilk. This place is not good for your cultivation."

"Willow Deity, do you have a way?" Little One understood what Stone Village's Sacrificial Spirit meant.

"I once told you that when I awoke, I could take you to a mysterious world and let you have a look. Would you like to go? You might even meet your 'Big Brother' Shi Yi there ahead of time, though not in person."

"I'm willing!" Little One nodded firmly.

"Good. Go tell your clansmen so they won't worry, then we'll set out!" The willow tree spoke telepathically, acting with swift decisiveness. It had just finished speaking and was already ready to leave.

"Okay!" Little One didn't ask any more questions. He immediately turned and hurried into the clan chief's courtyard, quickly and simply explaining the situation.

Shi Yunfeng and several clan elders froze. Shi Feijiao and the others, who had hurried over after hearing the news, were startled as well. They all felt anxious for Little One. What kind of place was it?! He could fight the young of Qiongqi, Bifang, Jiaotu, and other beasts, and might even encounter Shi Yi, the Double Pupil bearer. It sounded astonishing.

"Child, you must be careful! What kind of place is it, where you'll encounter the descendants of Primordial Ferocious Beasts? You have to keep yourself safe!"

"This trial is terrifying. Is it a test for young gods?!"

They were all stunned and filled with worry.

Little One was very decisive. After informing the clan, he immediately returned without wasting a moment and sat cross-legged before the charred trunk. His expression was solemn; he was ready to set out.

"Very well. Let us begin our journey to the heavens." The willow tree spoke telepathically. Its voice was gentle and calm, yet carried a certain authority. Its five branches suddenly surged outward, transforming into dazzling Order Divine Chains that shot straight up into the sky.

Shi Lin went along with Little One as well.

With a deafening boom, green radiance blazed until Heaven and Earth were awash in emerald light. The five brilliant willow branches pierced the firmament, as if opening a gate of laws!

In the sky, luminous mist swirled, hazy, mysterious, and unfathomably deep.

With a soft hum, they felt themselves leave the spot where they'd been standing. Passing through the hazy portal, the two traveled onward and entered a strange world.

"Where are we?" Little One saw mist swirling around them, surging like chaos. Everything looked hazy and indistinct.

"Come this way!" A gentle mass of green light glowed, and a charred willow tree appeared ahead. Rooted between Heaven and Earth, it led the two of them onward.

The mist gradually thinned, and the space ahead grew more open, desolate and ancient, like an abandoned world.

"It looks like an ancient realm gone to ruin." Little One was amazed.

As the fog thinned, he stood beneath the willow tree and looked ahead. He saw vast ruins, with one grand palace after another collapsed, leaving only broken walls and rubble.

"Go and have a look," the willow tree said telepathically.

Little One stepped forward. The sight before him was desolate, with rubble scattered everywhere. The once-magnificent palaces and halls had all been destroyed, giving off an air of age and antiquity.

"What place is this?" Little One asked again.

"The Void God Realm," the willow tree and Shi Lin replied together.

"The Void God Realm?" Little One's heart stirred. Just hearing the name, he could tell it was no ordinary place. Otherwise, why would it dare bear such a name?

"One theory is that this is the world people enter after becoming gods," the willow tree said.

"What?!" Little One was shocked. Had he really entered the realm of the gods? It felt unreal, even frightening.

"Another theory is that the mightiest beings worshipped by the ancient people—the gods—joined together and used their spiritual thoughts to construct this strange world," the willow tree added, offering another explanation.

"A spiritual world jointly created by the gods worshipped by the ancient people?" Little One's eyes widened in disbelief.

He looked down at the ruins beneath his feet, then toward the broken Primordial Divine Mountains in the distance, finding it hard to believe. This world was so real!

"But my true body is clearly standing here. If this world was built from spiritual thoughts, how can I stand here?" Little One asked.

"There is one thing I must correct: your true body is not here. Only your spiritual will is," the willow tree reminded him. Little One didn't believe it. He pinched his arm hard and felt a pang of pain. This wasn't a dream, and it wasn't unreal. Everything felt so real.

"It really is real," Shi Lin murmured.

"The spirit of every living being is the most mysterious thing of all, surpassing even the flesh," the willow tree explained telepathically. "Your spirit has entered this place. It is as if you've been reborn here, no different from having your true body present."

"But this is only my will, not my body. Why does it feel so real? It's hard to tell them apart," Little One said, baffled.

"That is the mystery of the Void God Realm—and its value. Your spirit is tempered here, and when you return to the real world, it brings all its insights back to your body. The two will transform together, just as if your true body had cultivated here!" The willow tree showed him the way.

"What a bizarre place!" Little One exclaimed.

He stepped across the rubble, his feet crunching against it. The ruins were enormous and empty, while the distant mountains were majestic. Even broken, they still seemed towering and sacred.

If all of this had been constructed from spiritual thoughts, what kind of divine power would it have taken?!

The willow tree sighed. "According to one legend, a great upheaval took place in ancient times, causing this spiritual world to fall into ruin as well. That's why there are so many ruins."

Some of the gods worshipped by the ancients might truly have been gods, while others had been pure-blooded Primordial creatures such as Zhujian, Chiwen, and Yayu. It had been an extremely complex and mysterious age.

"Am I supposed to temper myself in this spiritual world? But there's nothing here. It's already an abandoned place." Little One was very puzzled.

"Wrong. This world is vast beyond measure. What you're seeing is only a tiny corner," Willow Deity corrected him, telling him that there were still vast regions where countless living beings dwelled.

"What kinds of living beings are they?" Little One asked curiously.

"Just like you, their spirits enter from the outside world and appear within the Void God Realm," the willow tree replied.

"They can enter, too? And there are a lot of them?" Little One was surprised.

"Yes. It's like a real country," the willow tree replied.

Then it explained how those people entered. "Have you ever heard of an entire nation making offerings to Heaven?"

"I have," Little One nodded.

"From ancient times until now, the ancient gods worshipped by some old kingdoms have long since died, yet the people still make offerings to them as an entire nation, solemnly and devoutly. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is to inherit what the gods left behind..."

The ability to enter the Void God Realm was one of the "treasures" inherited from the ancient gods. As long as their faith remained unchanged, people in those ancient kingdoms could sense the Void God Realm by holding annual sacrifices. The strong could enter once they reached a certain level.

"So mysterious?" Little One was deeply moved. His eyes were clear as he thought it over for a long time, feeling that he'd learned quite a bit.

The willow tree said, "Once the entire kingdom has been accepted through its sacrifices, it will receive blessings. When an individual's cultivation reaches a certain level, they can then sense and enter or leave the Void God Realm."

Stone Village was deep in the Great Wilderness, far from any ancient kingdom. It held no ceremonies to worship Heaven, so entering the Void God Realm would normally have been impossible.

When the willow tree had brought the two of them in, it hadn't used the method of the ancient kingdoms. That was why they hadn't seen anyone else and had instead appeared among desolate ruins.

"Go out from here and you'll soon reach the true place of trial," the willow tree said telepathically. It didn't go any farther and stopped there.

And so Little One and Shi Lin set off, about to cross the enormous ruins. Little One still had many questions, but the willow tree was already growing indistinct and did not follow. It told him that he could find all the answers ahead.

The mist grew thinner and thinner until they neared a bright world. At last, they emerged from the ruins and stepped onto a large blue stone glittering with runes, with several pieces of gleaming white beast bone embedded in its surface.