"Kid, you're pretty impressive. Who would've thought you knew our clan's incantation?"
At the sight of the two enormous creatures lying before them,
the God-Striking Stone actually exclaimed in astonishment.
Even it had never known its entire clan was so powerful.
That spell had been lost for ages.
"Hehe, stick with me, and I guarantee you'll become the greatest divine weapon under heaven!"
"Oh, spare me! Stick with you, and I'll shatter sooner or later!"
The God-Striking Stone seemed born with a talent for comedy, but its potential was limitless.
Its capabilities were no less impressive than those of the Little Pagoda he had obtained earlier.
With these two treasures in hand,
if he used them well, he could swagger unchallenged through heaven and earth.
Then he just had to find a way to help the Willow Deity restore her true form.
Even if he went to the Upper Realm, no one would be able to shake Shi Xiu easily.
Just as the young man was letting his imagination run wild,
an enormous figure came running from the distance.
It was covered in golden fur and waved as it ran.
"Young Master Shi Xiu! Young Master Shi Xiu, I've finally been waiting long enough to see you!"
What the hell?
Finally been waiting long enough to see you?
Wasn't that the name of a song?
Shi Xiu had nothing to do with this enormous furry creature.
It had come cozying up to him all on its own!
"Stop. Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"Young master, my mistress told me to wait here for you!"
"Your mistress?"
"My mistress is Saintess Yun Xi of Heavenly God Mountain!"
So it was Ear-Biter!
At those words, the outline of a veiled beauty immediately surfaced in Shi Xiu's mind.
Her skin was luminous as jade, and her eyes were pure and bright as emeralds, sparkling brilliantly.
She was also the Desolate Heaven Emperor's empress in the original story.
But according to the original timeline,
Yun Xi's eventual fate was quite tragic too!
That had to be rewritten!
Following Shi Hao would bring her nothing but endless misery.
But follow your big brother Shi Xiu, and I guarantee happiness as high as the heavens. Hehe!
At that thought,
Shi Xiu actually found himself rather eager to see Ear-Biter sooner.
"Where is your mistress?"
"Young Master Shi Xiu, my mistress is fighting three ferocious beasts for the Ageless Spring. Things look terrible!"
Right.
According to the original story's timeline,
Yun Xi should have been battling several ferocious beasts at this moment.
Their aim was to seize the Ageless Spring.
The field surrounding the Ageless Spring was immensely powerful.
Even a supreme expert could not use any precious techniques there.
Although Yun Xi belonged to the Celestial Human Race,
she was still a girl, after all.
How could she possibly outfight the young of those Primordial Ferocious Beasts?
No, I have to go take a look!
It was for the Ear-Biter of his dreams, and also to complete the Heaven Mending Pavilion's mission.
Although Shi Xiu's appearance had brought many events forward in the timeline,
the Heaven Mending Pavilion's crisis was far from resolved.
Many experts from beyond the region already had their eyes on its sacrificial spirit, the ancient vine.
All of them believed that before the Desolate Region Tribulation descended,
the Heaven Mending Pavilion would be their last windfall!
That was just how these people were.
They always harmed others to benefit themselves.
But these supreme experts living in the Lower Realm probably never dreamed
that the so-called Desolate Region Tribulation was itself a setup.
Countless dark powers, seeking to replenish their own cultivation,
carried out this harvest of human lives at regular intervals!
Sadly, over all these years, no one had successfully averted the calamity.
They did not even know who was pulling the strings behind it!
Pitiful, tragic, lamentable!
Yet at this moment, Shi Xiu had a grand plan in mind.
Could he defy heaven?
Save the Heaven Mending Pavilion?
Could it be done?
Before that, he had better see what was happening up ahead.
It was the area with the strongest field energy in the entire Hundred Herb Garden.
A beauty and three ferocious beasts stood there at that moment.
The fiercest of them appeared to be a Glass Dragon.
The creature was probably over a hundred meters long.
Its enormous mouth could practically swallow the tiger from earlier in one bite.
Second in strength was a one-legged Bifang.
It was said that this kind of ferocious beast could almost rival the Vermilion Bird and the phoenix in fame, and it was also of the fire element.
Next was a monster with a single eye on top of its head, supposedly called Zhujian.
It seemed to be the totem of certain primitive tribes.
It possessed the valor of one warrior holding off ten thousand.
Beside them stood Ear-Biter, Yun Xi.
She had just fought the ferocious beasts.
She was panting hard, fragrant sweat pouring down her body.
But when Yun Xi saw Shi Xiu,
she disregarded her own safety completely and waved straight toward him.
"Shi Xiu! Young Master Shi!"
This saintess from Heavenly God Mountain probably never dreamed
that the man before her had not come for her.
He was here to obtain the Ageless Spring.
This ancient divine water would certainly benefit everyone present.
But the Heaven Mending Pavilion's sacrificial spirit needed it even more to prolong its life.
"Ooh, what's that smell? It's so fragrant!"
The instant they entered the area,
the God-Striking Stone seemed to catch a scent.
It appeared exceptionally sensitive to spiritual treasures born of heaven and earth.
It immediately located what seemed to be the Ageless Spring.
When the other three ferocious beasts saw that Heavenly God Mountain had reinforcements,
they immediately arrayed themselves against Yun Xi.
"Yun Xi, let's join forces and seize the Ageless Spring!"
"Huh? Yes!"
Upon hearing Shi Xiu's suggestion,
Ear-Biter opposite him was a little startled at first.
But she soon agreed, her heart brimming with delight.
"Could you take off your veil? I'm not used to looking at it!"
"All right. Of course!"
What a good girl.
Compared with the women he had encountered before,
this saintess from Heavenly God Mountain seemed much more agreeable.
But the three opposite them were not so good-tempered!
Seeing the man and woman making eyes at each other, they immediately roared in fury!
"Humans really are all untrustworthy. Heavenly Beings are no different!"
"Roar!"
The first to lunge at them was the Glass Dragon.
But it had probably underestimated the God-Striking Stone in Shi Xiu's hand.
That tiny little thing was hurled straight at it.
It struck dead center, right on the enormous dragon's nose!
Bam!
"Awooo!"
Although the enormous dragon's defenses were second to none,
every creature's nose was a weak point.
No matter how powerful you were, that spot was made of fragile cartilage.
Unless you were not a carbon-based life-form!
The piercing pain and its nearly broken nasal bridge sent the enormous dragon rolling to the ground.
Even the big dog beside it, Zhujian, did not escape unscathed.
It was just like a bowling strike.
The two creatures tumbled into a heap together!
The sight was a little too beautiful to bear looking at!
"Damn it! I will never allow..."
Seeing its allies in trouble, the one-legged Bifang hurried over as well.
But Yun Xi stepped directly into its path.
"Your opponent is me!"
"Wretched woman, get out of my way! Otherwise, even the Three Immortal Mountains won't make me show you any courtesy!"
Faced with the woman blocking its way,
the Bifang hesitated only briefly.
But it immediately realized something was wrong.
Out of the corner of its eye, an enormous dark shape dropped straight from the sky.
It was Shi Xiu, who landed astride the divine beast's neck.
Then, working both hands in tandem, he began forcefully plucking its feathers.
"Little sparrow, give me your Bifang True Feather!"
What audacity this fellow had.
After all, each of these divine beasts had only one true feather.
Once it was given to someone else, an immense bond would form between them.
The Bifang was a descendant of divine beasts, after all.
Why should it form a bond with a human like him?
"Ow! Y-you, you!"
Although it bucked and thrashed,
this Bifang was a youngster afraid of pain.
Seeing the divine feathers on its body and neck being plucked out in great patches,
it flew into a towering rage, yet could do nothing!
"Little sparrow, fly us inside to find the Ageless Spring, and I'll let you off!"
"It's a deal!"
"Off we go!"
And so, riding the Primordial Divine Beast,
Shi Xiu charged toward the heart of the area.
As he drew close to Yun Xi, the lad bent down.
He scooped the Saintess straight onto the bird's back.
A gentle breeze blew past.
The veil over Yun Xi's face quietly fluttered down.
"Huh, is this what blushing looks like for the Celestial Human Race?"
At that crucial moment, the God-Striking Stone's remark really did shatter the mood!
Before you continue