A Maiden Named Yun Xi

However, it was all in vain.

The Golden Beast, struck by the Supreme Technique, let out a scream that shook the heavens. Its body rapidly aged, its lifeblood withered, and its golden fur instantly dimmed as wrinkles covered its face.

In an instant, it had crossed from its prime into old age!

But that was not the most terrifying part. The withered Golden Beast could no longer withstand the dreadful force of the mysterious domain. It could only watch helplessly as it was crushed inch by inch, turning into a vast cloud of blood mist that scattered through the air.

"A Divine Servant who roamed the world has fallen just like that?"

"That was a Golden Beast comparable to a human lord!"

In the herb garden, the dozen or so Ancient Relics who had been forcibly dragged there to gather herbs had long since stopped working. They stared blankly at everything unfolding before them.

"The Golden Beast is dead. Leave this place at once."

Shi Hao glanced around the herb garden and said with a frown.

"We can't. The Golden Beast served a pure-blooded great fiend who dwells atop the Primordial Divine Mountain. If we leave now, some unforeseen calamity may befall us, and we may meet with misfortune."

Several Ancient Relics exchanged glances, then shook their heads with bitter smiles.

"Suit yourselves, then."

Shi Hao smiled at their answer and said no more.

If they didn't leave now, then once the God-Striking Stone took control of the array's core, they wouldn't be able to leave even if they wanted to. He'd take them all back to Stone Village to serve as the village's guardian beasts.

Deep in the herb garden, golden divine radiance soared into the sky.

A golden divine pool was pouring out its brilliance in mighty waves. Several pure-blooded creatures were resisting the ever more terrifying domain, struggling to approach the pool.

There was Bi Fang, a divine bird with azure feathers; Zhujian, with a human face and a leopard's body; and a mysterious maiden who had taken human form. Seven or eight pure-blooded divine beasts watched one another warily while pressing forward together.

"The Ageless Divine Spring?"

The nine fearsome heads of the Golden Lion laughed in unison, overcome with delight.

The Ageless Divine Spring possessed the divine property of immortality. A single drop could save a life, and its value far exceeded that of any holy medicine of the same rank. It was truly a legendary Sacred Great Medicine.

"Human, how dare you kill my Divine Servant?"

Beyond the divine pool, the mysterious maiden with flowing purple hair turned around, her gaze icy.

She wore a close-fitting purple dress. Her skin was as white as snow and shimmered faintly. Graceful and willowy, her robes fluttered as if she were an ancient god about to take flight and ascend to immortality.

A gentle divine radiance enveloped her tall, slender figure, leaving outsiders able to make out only her general outline. They could not tell what kind of pure-blooded creature she had transformed from.

"He was just a servant. I killed him, so what?"

Shi Hao waved a hand, utterly unconcerned. "Are you a prodigy of the Celestial Clan? Little Celestial, tell me your name."

"You can see through the divine radiance protecting me? Which Human Emperor are you descended from? Why have I never heard of you?"

The divine glow around the purple-clad maiden's skin shifted, betraying her unsettled feelings.

"It's just as well you haven't heard of me. There's no harm in meeting now. My name is Shi Hao."

Shi Hao studied the purple-clad maiden for a few moments, then smiled. "Little Celestial, shouldn't you be staying put on your Heaven Deity Mountain? Instead, you're running around everywhere. Be careful someone doesn't capture you and refine you into a great medicine of flesh and blood."

Yun Xi was the only celestial maiden to share a marital union with the Desolate Heaven Emperor and bear his child. Their marriage had been arranged by their parents and solemnized by a matchmaker; he had taken her as his lawful wife.

"I'm a princess. I go wherever I please, and it's none of your concern. You, on the other hand, killed a Divine Servant of Heaven Deity Mountain in front of everyone. What punishment do you think you deserve? Even if you're a direct descendant of the Human Emperor, I'll cut you down unless you give me an explanation."

The purple-clad maiden's red lips moved, her voice as clear and sweet as a lark's.

Just then, a streak of white light flashed from deep within the Hundred Herb Garden. The God-Striking Stone had returned.

"Cut me down? I'd like to see you try it in front of everyone."

Shi Hao raised an eyebrow, then leaped down from the Golden Lion and strode steadily toward the Ageless Divine Spring, which was shrouded in golden light.

This mysterious domain was the most terrifying place in the entire Sacred Garden. Even pure-blooded creatures were trapped here, and the Golden Lion, an Ancient Relic, couldn't withstand it.

At those words, the many divine birds and ferocious beasts looked at the purple-clad maiden with even more amusement, hoping she would make a fool of herself.

"Yun Xi, if you can't deal with this human, why not leave him to me? I've never eaten a direct descendant of the Human Emperor before. I wonder how he tastes."

The speaker was a one-eyed ferocious beast with a human face and a leopard's body, its entire form covered in cold scales. A draconic tail swayed lightly behind it.

Zhujian had a human face, a leopard's body, ox ears, one eye, and a long, powerful tail.

It possessed tremendous strength and could move mountains and fill seas.

In ancient times, one Zhujian had claimed the title God King of Great Strength and shaken the world in every direction.

"Zhujian, I'm talking to big sister. What does that have to do with you?"

"Your clan is famed for its inborn strength, strong enough to carry the Primordial Divine Mountain. Stone Village happens to be short one beast of burden to pull a cart. Would you come back with me?"

Before the purple-clad maiden could speak, Little Shi's rebuke came crashing down.

"Human, are you looking to die?"

Zhujian, from a famed Primordial Divine Mountain, flew into a rage.

Its ancestor had once been known as the God King of Great Strength in ancient times, yet this human wanted to make it pull a cart. It was a tremendous insult!

"Die? Once you fall into my hands, even death will be a luxury."

Shi Hao drew the Silver Holy Sword from his back.

Though broken, the holy sword blazed with treasure light, its rank in no way inferior to that of a Heavenly Artifact.

"Fool. With this mysterious domain suppressing you, how can you activate a treasure? Die!"

Zhujian gave a mocking laugh. A flash of black light streaked through the air as the section of its tail, like an iron whip, came crashing down with the force of Mount Tai. It shattered the air and struck like a ghost.

"Can't activate a treasure? That's not necessarily true~"

Shi Hao swung his sword. With a ringing clang, a silvery sword beam shot skyward like a pillar of light, shattering the clouds overhead before sweeping down.

With the support of a top-tier Heavenly Artifact, the Grass Sword Art's power was even greater!

"Pfft!"

A shrill scream rang out as blood mist filled the sky. A dark, whip-like tail fell limply from above and hit the ground.

"Roar! Human, how can you activate a treasure? Why isn't the domain affecting you?!"

Zhujian had lost its tail to that single strike. Cold sweat covered its brow as it bared its fearsome fangs and glared at Shi Hao.

The other pure-blooded creatures watched him warily as well.

The mysterious domain was clearly still in effect. That meant Shi Hao must be carrying some kind of mysterious treasure capable of nullifying its influence.

If they were still being suppressed, wouldn't they be at his mercy?

"Take a guess~"

Shi Hao glanced at the many pure-blooded creatures on high alert and drawled, "Anyone can leave today, except this Zhujian. I'm taking it back to the village to pull a cart."

"Brother Shi, we concede this time."

The speaker was a crane-like divine bird with one leg and a pair of azure wings, dotted here and there with two or three red markings. Radiant light streamed from its body.

Bi Fang was a Heavenly-Rank demonic bird. A Supreme Being of its clan had once claimed the title Demon Lord and devoured a god.

With that, the divine bird from antiquity beat its wings and left without hesitation.

With Bi Fang leading the way, the remaining pure-blooded creatures gave up on the Ageless Divine Spring and retreated.