Shi Xiu had no idea what had gotten into him.
At that moment, he obeyed every command of the Ruthless Great Emperor before him.
And that little brat Shi Hao got even more carried away with an audience.
He had even started calling her "sister-in-law."
And he kept hyping things up all along the way.
"Everyone, look! Brother Shi Xiu carried the fat woman back to the village!"
That little brat.
Would it kill you to keep your voice down?
Soon, a crowd had gathered at the entrance to Stone Village.
Everyone said Shi Xiu had really made something of himself.
He had been away for less than ten days, and he had almost reached full mastery of the Blood Moving Realm.
He had even carried a wife home.
And such a beautiful woman, too. They had heard she was an excellent cook.
So the young wives and aunties of the village all crowded around the Ruthless Great Emperor, sizing her up and commenting.
"This girl must come from a wealthy family, right?"
"Mm-hmm, look how soft her skin is. She probably isn't even fifteen!"
"It's just that her hips aren't wide enough. She won't have an easy time bearing sons!"
But compared with those women all talking over one another, the Willow Deity was much more wary.
Every branch and leaf of the enormous willow tree spread out.
It looked as though she were facing a formidable enemy.
The Ruthless Great Emperor naturally noticed as well.
So she walked over with a smile.
"So you were the one who released that spiritual power just now. You must be from the Upper Realm too!"
Though she did not recognize the willow tree's true form,
the Ruthless Great Emperor saw through her origins at a glance.
"This Willow Deity greets the empress of the Upper Realm. This must be merely a manifestation of your will!"
It was plain to see.
Both were on guard against the other.
Yet on the surface, they chatted amicably.
Women really were difficult creatures to understand.
"You have a good eye. But with your current cultivation, this boy still can't keep up with you, can he?"
"The same goes for you. I will protect him as he grows. Once his strength has risen, he can choose for himself!"
There was no point speaking falsehoods before someone who knew the truth.
Before the Ruthless Great Emperor,
the Willow Deity made no attempt to hide anything.
Both goddesses had taken a liking to Shi Xiu.
But the boy's cultivation was far too low.
Unless he advanced through several major realms,
he would not be able to become the Dao companion of either goddess.
"Hehe, suit yourself. Once this boy survives the great calamity of the Desolate Region, let him choose for himself!"
As for their conversation,
Shi Xiu, standing nearby, heard every word clearly.
And he could sense it too.
There was a sour edge of hostility in the Willow Deity's words.
The Willow Deity was jealous!
His life was going to be difficult from now on.
But the instigator of all this,
the Ruthless Great Emperor herself, merely smiled dismissively.
Then she walked straight over.
"That precious technique you used earlier was a gift from the Willow Deity, wasn't it? Shouldn't I give you something too?"
Wonderful.
A gift from the Ruthless Great Emperor.
It certainly wouldn't be anything ordinary!
The goddess made a calculation on her fingers.
Then she immediately rose into the air.
"She gave you a precious technique, so I'll get you a mount!"
Though this was merely a manifestation of the Ruthless Great Emperor's will,
there was probably no one in this lower realm who could surpass her.
No sooner had she spoken than her figure vanished.
That was what happened when someone's speed reached a certain level.
Shi Hao, watching from the side, cried out in amazement.
"Sister-in-law is incredible! What level is that? Full mastery of the Grotto-Heaven Realm?"
Wonderful.
Had this boy found a goal to strive toward?
As it happened, the Ruthless Great Emperor had not expected to encounter a rival either.
But after speaking with the Willow Deity,
the Ruthless Great Emperor had also realized the problem.
Their cultivation realms were simply too high.
Getting together with Shi Xiu recklessly would only harm the boy.
So they had to wait until his strength had grown.
Only then would becoming his Dao companion have any effect.
After weighing it over and over,
she decided it was still best for the Willow Deity to serve as his Dao protector.
This manifestation of the Ruthless Great Emperor's will could, at most, bring the boy a few gifts.
She hoped that when he next ascended to the Immortal Realm, he would not turn his back on her and pretend they were strangers.
The whole process felt a little like raising a young husband.
As she pondered,
the Ruthless Great Emperor found her target.
It was a Green-Scaled Eagle with the bloodline of an ancient divine beast.
But that bloodline had already grown very thin.
After extending one hand and holding her fixed in midair,
the Ruthless Great Emperor murmured to herself.
"You won't be much help to him as you are. I'll let you evolve into a Primordial Golden Peng!"
That was an utterly inconceivable divine art.
A supreme Dao Fruit flowed from the woman's fingertips.
It formed a golden wisp in the air, shaped like a smoke ring.
Then it wound around the Green-Scaled Eagle's body.
Whoosh!
After a surge of roiling smoke,
the Green-Scaled Eagle emerged utterly transformed, as though reborn in new flesh and bone.
She had become a majestic Primordial Golden Peng.
After sensing the change in her own bloodline,
the enormous female Golden Peng flew before the Ruthless Great Emperor.
She lowered her head slightly.
She put on a meek, obedient air.
Was she acknowledging her master?
"Your master isn't me. It's that boy in Stone Village. Watch over him for me while I'm away!"
With that, the Ruthless Great Emperor raised her hand again and released a mark.
It was engraved on the enormous Golden Peng's head.
It also awakened her intelligence in an instant.
"Rest assured, Master. I will protect my male master well!"
"Good girl! Let's go meet him now!"
As for this creation of hers,
the Ruthless Great Emperor was extremely satisfied.
So she climbed onto the enormous Golden Peng's back.
The Golden Peng spread her wings and soared, shrinking vast distances to mere inches.
In an instant, they arrived above Stone Village.
Her enormous wings spread wide, nearly blotting out the sky and sun.
The people of Stone Village were frightened out of their wits.
Each took up a spear and stood on guard.
But the Willow Deity remained unhurried.
She gently raised her willow branches, telling everyone to lower their weapons.
"It's all right. That woman has returned!"
Boom!
Compared with the original Green-Scaled Eagle, who had stood a little over five meters tall,
the evolved Golden Peng stood more than twelve meters tall, her golden feathers glittering all over.
With her wings spread, she could cover nearly half the village.
"My young husband, this is my first-meeting gift to you. Don't forget your wife when you reach Heaven Beyond Heaven!"
After saying that,
the Ruthless Great Emperor slowly approached the Willow Deity again.
"Little sister, don't say your elder sister didn't warn you."
"This boy's Heavenly Dao Treasure Body won't belong to just one person. You need to be ready to share!"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Haven't you sensed it? The Great Daos of the various planes already know about him..."
The Willow Deity's power was still a little weaker, after all.
But upon hearing the Ruthless Great Emperor's words,
she immediately understood.
News of the Heavenly Dao Treasure Body's arrival in the world would probably spread through the various planes very soon.
When that happened, countless favored daughters of heaven and even holy maidens would come, drawn by his fame.
There would be no stopping the boy's future romantic entanglements.
What the Willow Deity needed to establish next was
her future place in Shi Xiu's heart.
The same was true of the Ruthless Great Emperor.
Only, the latter hoped Shi Xiu would advance quickly.
She wanted him to ascend as soon as possible.
Otherwise, the two of them would have no foundation for becoming Dao companions.
From that perspective,
the one who could remain beside the boy as he grew would undoubtedly be the Willow Deity.
Provided that this exalted lady could open her heart a little.
Before you continue