Morning dawned, the rosy clouds brilliant and all things radiant.
Xi Yue rose early and cultivated by absorbing the morning radiance. She had a faint sense that she would open her tenth heavenly cavern within the next few days.
Ordinary people often needed several years to open a single heavenly cavern, yet she had entered the Cave Heaven Realm less than four years ago and had already opened nine in succession. It was truly astonishing.
"Nine heavenly caverns!" The old village chief stared at the nine divine halos behind Xi Yue and cried out, losing his composure.
"Grandpa Chief, are nine heavenly caverns really impressive?" A group of children tugged at Shi Yunfeng's robes and asked timidly.
"More than impressive. This is heaven-bestowed brilliance!" Shi Yunfeng sighed deeply. "You should know that most people can consider advancing to the next realm after opening four or five heavenly caverns."
He was also in the Cave Heaven Realm, but shamefully enough, after cultivating for so many years, he was still weaker than a girl who was not even ten.
"Anyone who opens six heavenly caverns can be called a genius. Seven is even more extraordinary-one in hundreds of millions. Eight or nine are rarer still, as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."
"And now, this child... may well open the legendary tenth heavenly cavern. That is something spoken of only in ancient texts!"
Exclamations of amazement rose all around. Though the children did not understand, they were deeply awed all the same. It certainly sounded impressive.
"Who's stronger, Uncle Little One or this big sister?" someone else asked.
The wrinkles on the old village chief's face bunched together. Caught in a difficult position, he moved his lips, but in the end merely let out a long sigh.
In his eyes, Little One was exceptional too, but compared with this girl, he still fell a little short.
"Your Uncle Little One is very powerful. He isn't necessarily any weaker than me." Xi Yue opened her eyes, and the nine heavenly caverns behind her faded from view as she spoke with a gentle smile.
"Big Sister, you're so amazing! Can you teach us to cultivate? We want to become as strong as you!"
Hearing her speak, several children ran over without the slightest reserve and hugged her long legs, practically wishing they could hang their entire bodies from her.
Xi Yue froze briefly, then her eyes flickered and a faint smile blossomed on her lips. "Of course. I happen to be preparing for a breakthrough, so I'll spend these next few days settling my cultivation."
As she spoke, she rubbed and squeezed the children's little faces, making their cheeks flush rosy red again.
Mm, they feel wonderful. Now I finally understand why Yao Yue loves pinching my cheeks. Even she was finding it hard to stop.
"Child, won't this interfere with your cultivation?" The old village chief approached with a worried expression, concerned that it might affect Xi Yue's breakthrough.
"It's fine. I don't have much to do these next few days anyway. Teaching them a few things won't hinder my breakthrough." Xi Yue shook her head gently and smiled.
"Child, you... ah..." The old village chief sighed deeply once more, at a loss for words.
Their village owed this girl far too much, yet Xi Yue asked for nothing in return. They could never repay such kindness...
Over the next few days, the little troublemakers began to regret their request, for they had been tossed into a large black cauldron that billowed with steam.
"Wah! Let me out! I don't want to cultivate anymore!" one of them yelled, struggling to rise. It hurt so much that he nearly burst into tears.
But before he could get even half his body out, his father pressed him back down.
"Bear with it. This is the precious blood of a primordial remnant! We never got treatment like this back in our day. You little brats are lucky."
The old village chief stood to one side, smiling silently, clearly delighted.
The children in the cauldron were flushed scarlet, their skin as red as fully ripened spirit fruits. Faint blood energy and rosy light steamed from their bodies.
This precious liquid had been brewed from the blood of a primordial remnant. Combined with Stone Village's ancient medicinal formula and that extraordinarily mysterious Black Cauldron, the cleansing bath would lay a firm foundation for these children, allowing them to travel farther along the path of cultivation.
With a generous wave of her hand, Xi Yue also contributed several spirit herbs as a friendly gift, prompting another round of heartfelt thanks from the villagers.
The villagers were simple and sincere, insisting on thanking her no matter what she said. She could only wave it off. These precious herbs were nothing to her.
"I have plenty of spirit herbs like these. I usually eat them as snacks." The words slipped out before she realized it, and she hurriedly covered her cherry-red lips.
The villagers marveled once more. Even spirit herbs were eaten as snacks! Did people outside the Great Wilderness really live in such luxury?
After the medicinal bath, Xi Yue began explaining bone text to the children. Even some of the adults could not resist drawing near, pricking up their ears to listen carefully.
Her explanations were meticulous, drawing frequent nods from the children. Some of the adults also felt they had benefited greatly and gained new insights.
"This is wonderful!" Xi Yue could not help sighing as she watched the scene.
After a few days in Stone Village, its atmosphere had rubbed off on her. She had even grown somewhat attached and did not want to leave.
Unfortunately, that was unrealistic. This was not her home, after all, and she could not truly halt her steps to live such a simple life.
The future held too much suffering, too much bloodshed and chaos. The entire world would be overturned. Every day spent living like this was a luxury.
"You seem troubled?"
Just then, a voice transmitted through divine sense rang out in Xi Yue's sea of consciousness.
Xi Yue was briefly startled. Although she knew the Willow Deity could perceive everything here, she had not expected the deity to speak first.
She slowly approached the lightning-struck stump and asked hesitantly, "Willow Deity?"
Yet the Willow Deity remained aloof and offered no response. Only the fresh green willow branches continued to sway, gleaming brilliantly.
Xi Yue did not mind. After all, this was a supreme Immortal King who had endured through the ages. Even after undergoing rebirth, the deity remained unfathomable.
Moreover, the Willow Deity had presumably recovered some memories by now and would soon depart through the Gate of Origin.
"Willow Deity, there is something I would like your help with." Xi Yue hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.
"What is it?" the Willow Deity asked through divine sense, the voice ethereal, neither distinctly male nor female.
"It's like this..." Xi Yue recounted how the Pu Demon King lay dormant in the Hundred Broken Mountains.
The Pu Demon King was far too powerful. Even though only a wisp of his remnant spirit remained, he had once been an immortal titan and was still difficult to contend with.
Even if he no longer possessed the might of a true immortal, he presumably was not far short of it.
In truth, she could ask the Kunpeng King for help, but only a lingering obsession remained of him now. Each awakening consumed some of his scant remaining power.
By comparison, asking the Willow Deity for help was undoubtedly the better choice.
"So it is him. I was unaware of this. When the time comes, I will help."
To the Willow Deity, the Pu Demon King was also a mortal enemy and a grave threat. Before departing, there was no harm in removing him for the sake of the homeland of old.
"Oh?"
"You are very unusual, somewhat familiar. You seem not to exist within this world. Even I cannot see through the mist surrounding you. Do you not belong to ancient history..."
The Willow Deity spoke, but this time a trace of hesitation entered the voice.
Those words sent another shock through Xi Yue's heart. Here it comes. Here it comes!
The Kunpeng King had once said something similar, even saying that "she is not yet herself." Now the Willow Deity had spoken the same sort of words. It was terrifying, making her heart and soul tremble.
Then she thought of something else. The Willow Deity had said she seemed somewhat familiar. What did that mean? Did the deity recognize her somehow?
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through her mind. With her astonishing intelligence, she thought of many extraordinary possibilities.
"I'll deal with the future when it comes. Thinking too much now is useless." Xi Yue comforted herself, burying some of her worries deep in her heart.