Cultivation Method

"Not bad. To have successfully opened five Cave Heavens the moment you achieved the Cave Heaven Realm."

"However, in the Primordial Era, great evils like the Vermilion Bird and Yinglong believed that nine Cave Heavens were merely the threshold for respect, and only ten could be considered truly invincible. Therefore, you..."

Willow Deity spoke leisurely.

Shi Hao continued, "Therefore, my goal is ten Cave Heavens."

"Good!"

Willow Deity was sparing with words. A tender green willow branch descended, striking the palm of Shi Hao's hand like a divine chain of order, causing a crystal-clear Heavenly Bone to manifest out of thin air.

The snow-white, translucent Heavenly Bone was covered in dense, mysterious runes. A mere glance was enough to make one's mind reel.

"I have finally waited for this day!"

Clutching the crystalline Heavenly Bone, Shi Hao wore a sincere smile as he looked up at Willow Deity. "Is this the method Willow Deity spoke of?"

"Yes. This method is called the Original True Interpretation. I obtained it from the... Immortal Realm above."

Willow Deity spoke vaguely before continuing, "The Original True Interpretation was not created by me. Its origins are untraceable; it was birthed by the heavens and earth when the universe first opened."

"The portion you hold contains only the origin of runes and the War God Records. Furthermore, there is the Myriad Spirit Chart, which together with this forms the first volume of the Original True Interpretation: the Divine Guidance Chapter."

"However, having the Divine Guidance Chapter as the foundation of your Great Dao is sufficient. Remember, do not leak this method, lest you invite great disaster."

In truth, the Original True Interpretation consists of three volumes: Upper, Middle, and Lower.

The Upper Volume, Divine Guidance, starts from the origin of circulating blood and energy, pointing directly to the Heavenly Deity fruit status.

The Middle Volume, Transcendence, teaches all spirits how to struggle through the rolling red dust, eventually transcending to achieve the eternal Great Dao of the Immortal path, pointing directly to the True Immortal fruit status.

The Lower Volume is the Indescribable Chapter, a mystery beyond reach, unattainable even by Heavenly Emperors.

It expounds upon the origin of the Great Dao; a mere wave of the hand is a grand wish of the Immortal path, pointing directly to the Quasi-Immortal Emperor fruit status.

Because the Upper Volume appeared earlier, many giants of the Upper Realm already knew of it. They had studied and practiced it, using it to draw analogies and perfect their own paths.

But the Upper Volume could only lead to the Heavenly Deity fruit status, while the sect masters and giants of the Upper Realm were at least terrifying existences in the Void Dao Realm. Thus, the Divine Guidance Chapter could only serve as a reference, unable to push them further.

The Middle Volume, the Transcendence Chapter, was different; it pointed directly to the True Immortal fruit status.

For those sect masters and giants in the Upper Realm who were nearly driven mad by the desire to become Immortals, there was nothing they wouldn't do to obtain the Transcendence Chapter that could aid their enlightenment.

The so-called "Great Disaster of the Eight Regions, where the sacred are like grass," was in truth merely the result of the periodic thinning of the world barrier, allowing Upper Realm giants to descend.

As for the "harvesting of human medicine," that was merely a side benefit.

After all, the high-end combat power of the Eight Regions was only at the Venerable level, with Divine Fire Realm experts being the peak.

Reasonably speaking, which of those Upper Realm giants in the Void Dao, Self-Severing, or even Escape One Realms didn't have an immortal orthodoxy backing them?

A pseudo-god who had ignited their Divine Fire was, at best, a gatekeeper within an immortal orthodoxy.

Would those Upper Realm giants go to such lengths to descend just to catch these few scraps? If they really wanted to capture Divine Fire Realm experts, wouldn't there be more in the Upper Realm?

It was all because they heard that the Middle Volume of the Original True Interpretation—the Transcendence Chapter—was suspected to be hidden within the Eight Regions of the lower realm. Those Upper Realm giants, desperate for a breakthrough, flocked down like village women rushing to a market, time and time again, with impeccable punctuality.

Of course, they always returned empty-handed, as expected.

The Lower Volume, the Indescribable Chapter, was even more formidable.

For an peerless Immortal King like Willow Deity, it was a supreme treasure of the Dao, capable of pointing out a path to the Emperor Realm—an existence that would drive countless Immortal Kings to madness.

Cough, I've digressed.

If I have the chance, I must obtain the Lower Volume for Willow Deity. Willow Deity is a supreme giant infinitely close to a Quasi-Immortal Emperor, a terrifying existence who fought nine in and nine out of foreign lands. If Willow Deity can achieve the Quasi-Immortal Emperor status a step earlier, my future path will be easier to walk.

Thinking of this, Shi Hao bowed and said, "I will, Willow Deity."

"Good. Do not let me down."

Willow Deity gave a gentle wave, and a soft force pushed him away.

By the time Shi Hao regained his senses, he was already in the center of the village. The other children were squatting in the cauldrons, howling and wailing with all sorts of strange cries.

"Little One, it's hot, it's hot, it's burning me to death! Pull me out quickly, I don't want this medicinal bath anymore, I want to go back to sleep!"

Dazhuang, who usually styled himself a "tough guy," was dragging a long trail of snot, grimacing as he begged the suddenly appearing Little Shi for help.

"Alright, Brother Dazhuang."

Shi Hao readily agreed, stepped forward in one stride, and pressed Dazhuang—who had already climbed halfway out of the Hou-Patterned Cauldron—back inside, before turning to leave.

He left after the deed was done, hiding his merit and fame!

"I thank you so much, you jerk!!!"

A shrill, miserable roar echoed faintly.

From then on, Shi Hao never left the crystalline Heavenly Bone, forgetting to eat or sleep as he studied the Divine Guidance Chapter of the Original True Interpretation, sensing the origin of runes and comprehending the mysteries of heaven and earth.

With the help of the heart blood of the Separated Fire Bull Demon, the old village chief Shi Yunfeng finally stepped into the long-dreamed-of Spirit Transformation Realm, and the family of four Azure Heaven Rocs also gained much.

As for the progress of the others in the village, that is a story for another time; let us turn our gaze to the Mountain Treasure.

Two years ago, the Mountain Treasure that had caused such a massive stir upon its emergence appeared once again, finally drawing the attention of the many great clans active across this vast territory.

One powerful contingent after another was crossing mountains and ridges, rushing toward the depths of the Great Wilderness. There were nomadic tribes riding Mutated Scaled Horses, top-tier experts flying on treasures crafted from beast bones or Ancient Beast Skin, and reclusive families arriving through the air on Snow Feathers.

Several days later, twenty or thirty great clans from within a radius of tens of thousands of li were chasing one another deep into the Great Wilderness, until a tranquil little mountain village appeared before their eyes.

The charred willow tree at the village entrance immediately drew the majority of the gazes on the scene.

Only a single emerald-green willow branch swayed in the breeze upon its thick trunk, emitting specks of fluorescence and divine radiance, silently shielding the ancient Stone Village.

"For this Sacrificial Spirit willow tree to welcome new life after being struck by lightning, the single sprouting branch must surely contain the mysteries of nirvana; it is a supreme treasure."

Some old cultivators with extraordinary discernment scrutinized the village entrance, lost in thought.

However, for a moment, no one dared to move; the various tribes subconsciously cast their gazes toward the few contingents at the very front.

The Thunder Clan, the Purple Mountain Clan, the Luofu Marsh, the Golden Wolf Tribe, and the Cloud Clan.

Only the strong could enjoy the right to speak, and these five families were undoubtedly the most powerful forces within a radius of tens of thousands of li; their combined strength was enough to completely alter the power structure of this land.

"Heh, my Cloud Clan has no great interest in this."

A kind-faced old man in white robes stood atop a Snow Feather, while two exceptionally beautiful little girls stood hand-in-hand behind him, curiously observing the outside world.

"Hmph, if that's the case, then this willow branch belongs to my Luofu Marsh!"

An arrogant laugh rang out from atop a massive, ferocious Jiao with wings sprouting from its ribs.

It was a child of about five or six years old, yet his eyes were like lightning, and his temperament was as sharp and overbearing as a fledgling Golden Winged Roc.

"How dare you be disrespectful to the Willow Deity! Slap his mouth!"

As the words fell, the wind and clouds shifted. Amidst the interweaving of countless Bone Text, a giant hand made of runes compressed into existence out of thin air, rumbling as it suppressed the arrogant child.

"Where did this mountain savage come from? I, Jiao Peng..."

The five or six-year-old child merely let out a cold snort, runes surging in his palm.

"Slap!"

The next moment, an exceptionally loud sound of a slap rang out. This disciple of the Luofu Marsh named Jiao Peng was cleanly swatted down from a height of over ten meters, rolling onto the ground in a sorry state.