At the roots of Stone Village's Willow Tree, green light churned violently, and a hole suddenly tore open in the luminous cocoon enveloping Shi Hou and Shi Hao.
A dark figure flew backward out of it.
Thud.
Shi Hou landed sprawled on the ground, spinning around with the Black Pot as his pivot.
Kang, who had been lying beside the Willow Deity, sprang up, all four hooves moving as he planted them on Shi Hou's chest. He brought his pig face close, puffed two jets of white vapor from his nostrils, and snorted urgently.
Furball hung upside down from the treetop, swung twice around Shi Hou, and reached out a gleaming golden paw to poke his hair.
The surrounding villagers crowded around in a rush.
The old clan chief, Shi Yunfeng, tightened his grip on his walking stick and craned his neck.
Shi Shoushan strode forward, grabbed Shi Hou by the collar, and hauled him up. His other hand smacked the back of Shi Hou's head as he scolded him loudly.
"You little brat! You weren't even in there half a day. Why are you out already? Where's Little One?"
Shi Hou spat out the grass in his mouth, wriggled free of his father's hand, and brushed the dirt off his beast hide clothing.
His head was still buzzing. The Void God Realm's repelling force had been truly overbearing.
"Well... I got kicked out."
Silence fell instantly.
Beneath the trunk, the green cocoon around Shi Hao returned to its original state, giving off a gentle glow.
An emerald willow branch slowly descended from above, gathering motes of light as it came to rest before Shi Hou.
A gentle voice rang out.
"The Void God Realm is a realm constructed from the minds of ancient gods, embracing all things. You bear