Divine Servant, Golden Beast

"I'll trade, I'll trade, I'll trade, alright!"

The God-Striking Stone grew anxious at once, hastening to make its stance known.

"A wise choice."

Shi Hao smiled, then paused to add, "However, among the three supreme arts, you can only choose one. So, what is your answer?"

"Only one, only one..."

The God-Striking Stone groaned in agony, its gaze darting incessantly between the three supreme beings as it muttered to itself.

"I choose the Grass Sword Art of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass!"

A moment later, a resolute voice rang out.

"Have you thought it through?"

"Of course."

"Among the Ten Archaic Evils, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass represents the extreme of sharpness, while my God-Striking Stone clan represents the extreme of solidity. They represent two diametrically opposed extremes. I want to see which is truly the strongest: the sharpest spear or the strongest shield."

The God-Striking Stone wore a solemn expression, showing a rare moment of seriousness.

"Then I can give you the answer now: there is no strongest technique, only the strongest cultivator."

Shi Hao's light chuckle caused the stone's expression to collapse.

"Then, as you wish."

As he clenched his palm, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass rooted in the void disintegrated into a silver sword aura that tore through the air, rushing toward the God-Striking Stone.

The God-Striking Stone suppressed its excitement, striving to accept this world-shaking art.

Watching the God-Striking Stone receive the inheritance, Shi Hao suddenly smiled happily.

A God-Striking Stone, known throughout the ages for its solidity, suddenly unleashing an incredibly sharp, peerless sword technique against an enemy in the heat of battle—the imagery alone was thrilling, simply cool to the extreme.

Truly, a surprise attack!

"This is my clan's inherited technique, the earth-shattering God-Striking Stone Art."

Specks of divine radiance overflowed from the God-Striking Stone's body, all of which merged into Shi Hao's palm.

"Excellent. Let's go, follow me into the garden. Once this trial ends, I will take you away from this small world. How can a descendant of the Ten Archaic Evils waste away here?"

Shi Hao smiled, placing the God-Striking Stone atop his head, nestled within a strand of hair.

"Many thanks, Dao Brother!"

The God-Striking Stone was so happy it did backflips; it had spent who knows how many years in the Baiduan Mountain Secret Realm and had long since grown tired of it.

One man, one beast, and one stone entered the garden once more.

This was an endless expanse of ancient medicinal fields. Spiritual herbs grew in patches, punctuated by several ten-thousand-year-old herbs, with rolling waves of medicinal fragrance assailing the senses.

The dense spiritual energy was nearly liquefied, forming a faint golden cloud layer floating in the air. A single sniff was enough to make brilliant clouds surge like an ocean.

Through their breath, it poured continuously into the bodies of Shi Hao and his companions.

"Mine, mine, it's all mine!"

Shi Hao's physical body glowed, his precious physique operating on its own to draw the golden spiritual mist into his divine orifices, his eyes shining with greed.

"Is Dao Brother wondering how to pack up the entire spiritual herb field and take it away?"

A smooth, black strand of hair fluttered in the breeze; it was the God-Striking Stone speaking.

"Indeed, this place and I are fated."

Shi Hao gave a light cough and said with a straight face.

"Every creature that comes here says that."

The God-Striking Stone grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, it laughed: "Dao Brother, I have a way."

It had long set its sights on the other two Ten Archaic Evils' arts in Shi Hao's possession, so it was building a rapport now to make it easier to ask for them later.

Having said this, the God-Striking Stone deliberately paused.

But after waiting and waiting without Shi Hao asking for help, the God-Striking Stone had no choice but to curse inwardly and continue:

"The Hundred Herb Garden is a spiritual herb field planted by the ancient sages themselves, controlled by a formation hub. As long as you control the central hub, you can shrink this entire ancient field into a tiny mustard seed and store it in a spatial artifact to take away."

"Over these past few hundred years, I've already figured out most of the Hundred Herb Garden's formation hub. In at most a quarter of an hour, I can take complete control of it."

"Wonderful. Then please go ahead, Brother Batian."

Shi Hao's eyes lit up upon hearing this; it was truly like someone bringing a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

The God-Striking Stone grew angry at the mention of this.

Naming me was one thing, and having the surname Shi was fine, but the name Batian was unbearable—why not just call me 'Heaven-Defier' instead?!

"Cough, wait a moment, Dao Brother."

The God-Striking Stone, having the heart but lacking the courage, dared not express its dissatisfaction and promptly transformed into a streak of white light, fleeing deep into the Sacred Garden.

"Lowly human genius, hurry up and get over here to harvest the herbs!!"

At the same time, a roar like rolling thunder surged toward them.

It was a burly, humanoid creature with a pair of dragon horns piercing the sky atop its head. Its body was covered in golden fur, and it radiated a soul-shaking Killing Intent.

From afar, it shone as brilliantly as a golden sun.

It was a Golden Beast, a servant residing high upon the Primordial Divine Mountain, serving pure-blooded ferocious beasts.

Having been bestowed with terrifying bloodlines or precious techniques by supreme beings, its combat power was astonishing. It styled itself as a Divine Servant walking the world, meaning a great servant of the gods.

"My Lord, that is a powerful Golden Beast. There must be terrifying pure-blooded creatures active in this vicinity; please, you must be extremely careful."

The Golden Lion spoke with a grave expression.

Do not be fooled by the Golden Lion's claim of being a supreme Primordial Remnant infinitely close to a pure-blooded creature; the chasm between a Primordial Remnant and a pure-blooded creature is not so easily crossed.

Perhaps it could be achieved in a hundred years, or perhaps it would be hopeless for a lifetime.

"I don't care about any pure-blooded creatures or Divine Servants. If he dares to touch my herb garden, I'll slaughter him first and use him as fertilizer for this place."

Seeing someone laying claim to what he considered his own, how could Shi Hao endure it? He immediately urged the Golden Lion beneath him to move closer.

"Kid, you're sensible. Hurry into the herb field with this Nine-Headed Lion and harvest herbs for my young master. Ten stalks each, and you may leave once you're finished."

The Golden Beast, whose strength was comparable to a human prince, nodded approvingly. It tossed down two bamboo baskets and urged Shi Hao and his companion to get to work.

In the two rows of garden plots behind it, over a dozen humanoid creatures transformed from Primordial Remnants were bowing their heads to harvest herbs; most of them had likely been forcibly abducted by this extremely powerful Golden Beast as well.

"I heard you call yourself a Divine Servant. Is your master a god, then?"

Shi Hao, sitting cross-legged on the back of the Golden Lion, didn't even glance at the bamboo baskets.

"Human, are you tired of living?"

The Golden Beast's roar was like thunder, its eyes staring at Shi Hao with ill intent.

Although the pure-blooded creatures residing high upon the Primordial Divine Mountain were terrifying, they were not true gods; they were merely the descendants of gods. This was the origin of the Primordial Divine Mountain—a dwelling place for gods, a sacred land.

"So, not a god? Then go to hell!"

Shi Hao stood up abruptly. The bone in his chest began to glow, and it seemed as if gods and Buddhas were chanting. A divine light, dazzling to the extreme, shot out from his chest and headed straight for the Golden Beast.

"Supreme Bone? You are a heaven-born Su..."

The Golden Beast was struck with terror, its expression one of absolute horror.

The Supreme Bone of a heaven-born supreme being was a gift from the heavens. It never expected that it could bypass the restrictions of the mysterious field here and still unleash a supreme technique unaffected.

"ROAR!!!"

Resisting the urge to turn and flee, the Golden Beast let out a furious howl.

"Hum hum!"

Dazzling divine radiance swept out from its body, covering the sky. Runes intertwined, and it transformed into a brilliant sun to suppress itself, struggling with all its might to resist that terrifying divine light.