"I'm back!"
The moment he returned to Stone Village, he sensed that something was off.
The Willow Deity, in particular, called Shi Xiu over the instant he appeared.
"I sensed that Bei Village's Sacrificial Spirit seemed to..."
Although the Willow Deity could not leave, the deity knew everything happening throughout the Great Wilderness like the back of a hand.
That included the relentless heavenly lightning just now.
And Bei Village's Sacrificial Spirit, which had suddenly vanished.
Both seemed inextricably linked to the boy standing here.
The Willow Deity was not blaming him.
Just worried about him.
"Well, I did fight Old Bei just now, and then a certain senior helped me!"
"Did that person leave a name?"
"He said he was called the Banished Immortal?"
"The Banished Immortal? It was actually him!"
As a mighty being from the Upper Realm, the Willow Deity knew its experts well.
Upon hearing the name Banished Immortal,
even the Willow Deity's voice carried surprise.
To think that this figure had appeared as well.
It seemed the heavenly dao treasure body really was in high demand.
Shi Xiu might currently be no more than an ordinary cultivator with three grotto-heavens in the lower realm.
But he was already enough to draw the attention of Quasi-Great Emperors and even Great Emperor-level powerhouses.
Perhaps even higher-ranked Immortals had noticed his unique constitution.
After all, in cultivation,
the higher one climbed, the harder it became.
If one could obtain an immortal body,
whether born with it or developed through later cultivation, it was an assured path to becoming a powerhouse.
Those powerhouses who had taken an interest in Shi Xiu were probably not merely thinking of the few girls in their families.
They likely had their eyes on the descendants those unions would produce.
If a few more innate dao bodies appeared, that would invigorate an entire family!
So, no matter how far this boy went in the future,
countless factions would stand behind him, offering their protection.
Magical treasures, spiritual medicines, and uniquely gifted precious techniques.
Even countless immortal maidens and Saintesses would become dazzling pages in his life.
That raised a question.
How could the Willow Deity secure a place at his side in the future?
By letting this little rascal have his way now?
Just as the Willow Deity wrestled with that dilemma,
that little rascal Shi Hao came skipping over.
"Brother Shi Xiu, you're back! I need you for something!"
"What is it?"
"The Willow Deity just helped me comprehend the Suanni Precious Technique. I want to spar with you, big brother!"
Shi Hao was quite impressive himself.
He cultivated far faster than ordinary people.
If the boy still had his Supreme Bone,
he would definitely be a young supreme of the human race.
"Sure! I'll test your skills with the Taotie Art!"
"Haha, I won't hold back!"
Shi Hao might be young, but he certainly had guts!
He knew perfectly well that he was no match for Shi Xiu, yet still dared to challenge him.
He was a promising seedling.
Without further ado,
the two took their positions, and two enormous beasts manifested behind them.
But the Suanni was clearly far inferior to the Taotie.
Unexpectedly, the little brat actually attacked first.
"Haha, take my punch!"
It was a completely undisguised straight punch.
It shot straight toward Shi Xiu's face!
Shi Xiu smiled faintly.
He extended one palm and caught it with ease.
The boy was still a little green.
He actually thought he could defeat Shi Xiu through brute force.
But he had never expected three spinning grotto-heavens to suddenly appear behind his big brother.
Shi Hao immediately stared in astonishment.
"Big brother, you're already in the blood-no, the grotto-heaven realm?"
"Heh, still want to fight?"
Shi Xiu shoved Shi Hao forward hard.
Shi Hao immediately stumbled back more than a dozen steps.
Then he looked over, his face full of sulky defiance.
Originally, both brothers had been at the perfected blood moving realm.
Shi Hao had thought that, having finally learned a precious technique,
he should now be able to match Shi Xiu evenly.
Yet after only a few days apart,
his big brother had already opened three grotto-heavens.
The Willow Deity, watching from the side, called a halt as well.
"Shi Hao, your big brother Shi Xiu has already gone easy on you. You must work harder at your cultivation too!"
"But Lord Willow Deity, I don't have talent as good as big brother's!"
Even Shi Hao could envy someone else's talent?
That truly was a rare sight!
However, the Willow Deity seemed to have prepared the next stage of their cultivation long ago.
"I think you brothers are both strong enough now. You can go undertake Void God Realm Training!"
This was a decision the Willow Deity had reached after careful consideration.
No matter how quickly they cultivated here in the Great Wilderness, it could not compare with the Void God Realm.
Besides, sending the two there sooner would let them see the vastness of the world sooner.
While improving their strength, they could also greatly broaden their horizons.
That would be an enormous help in facing the approaching Great Wilderness Calamity.
These two young men might already be unrivaled around Stone Village.
But measured against the whole world, they still had a long way to go.
Upon hearing this news,
Shi Hao leaped high into the air.
"Great! I've heard people say the Void God Realm is really fun. Let's hurry and go!"
But the Willow Deity primarily wanted Shi Xiu's opinion.
The main purpose of going to the Void God Realm was to develop this boy's cultivation.
Shi Hao was merely the backup choice.
Shi Xiu would face the Sea of Stars in the future, but Stone Village also needed someone to protect it.
"I want to take a look too, and cross swords with the Heavenly Prodigies of my generation!"
As someone who had transmigrated,
Shi Xiu naturally hoped his power would keep growing.
Although possessing a heavenly dao treasure body meant he could simply lie back and do nothing,
a true man's ambitions reached to the four corners of the world.
He had no desire to live off women like that!
"In that case, get ready. I'll send you there tomorrow morning!"
The Void God Realm truly was a wonderful place.
Those who entered could essentially cultivate using their primordial spirits.
Unless their primordial spirits suffered severe damage, their lives would not be endangered.
It was undoubtedly an excellent place for young people to cultivate.
And the place was rather like an enormous dungeon instance.
It could bring together people from all corners of the world.
Among them were many Heavenly Prodigies and geniuses, as well as some outstanding Otherworlders.
They would definitely grow far faster there than in Stone Village.
It would also quickly teach the brothers the ways of the world.
And help them mature as soon as possible!
Most importantly, the Void God Realm contained many great opportunities.
With good luck, they might even obtain unexpected rewards.
Right now, these two young men were the strongest people in all of Stone Village.
Shi Xiu, in particular, had to grow stronger in the shortest possible time.
Otherwise, it would be disastrous if some great faction from Heaven Beyond Heaven simply came and carried him off.
Although the Ancient Double-Pupil Woman had already laid down rules,
were there not still plenty of people who refused to obey them?
For now, those fellows were merely testing the waters.
Who knew when they might descend in person?
That made the Void God Realm the best place to go.
As for Shi Hao, he also deserved extra care out of consideration for his parents!
In any case, seeing the village produce these two young men,
the Willow Deity, as its Sacrificial Spirit, felt deeply gratified!
"Lord Willow Deity, I have something to say!"
Just as the two young men were rubbing their fists and palms in eager anticipation,
the elderly village chief appeared from who knew where.
The old man seemed to have something difficult to bring up.
He looked at the Willow Deity, then at Shi Xiu.
Clearly, what he was about to say was not something he wanted to discuss in front of Shi Xiu.
Shi Xiu tactfully stepped away.
"I need to go back and pack a few things anyway. You two talk!"
They entered the Void God Realm in spiritual form.
What could he possibly need to pack?
Judging by the village chief's look, this was probably about Shi Hao's family background!
Once Shi Xiu had left,
the village chief sighed toward Little One, then spoke slowly.
"Shi Hao, I went out earlier to inquire about your parents, and now I've found some leads..."
Upon hearing news of his parents,
Shi Hao, who had still been laughing and joking, instantly grew quiet.
He seemed to have matured a great deal...
Before you continue