Return to the village

Jun Moxiao and the others finally returned to Stone Village. Spotting Willow Deity's branches swaying in the wind from afar, Shi Hao shouted excitedly, "Willow Deity, we're back!"

Willow Deity transmitted her voice. "Mm! Well done. Welcome back."

Jun Moxiao said, "Sister Willow Deity, did you miss us?"

"Hehe! Not at all."

Inside the Divine Kingdom Space, a woman of peerless beauty pursed her lips as she spoke.

Willow Deity transmitted her voice to everyone in Stone Village. "The two little fellows are back."

Old Grandpa chuckled. "It's been over two years. Those two little fellows have finally come home. Where's Qingfeng? Why didn't Little One bring him back?"

Everyone cheered. Skinny Monkey and the other children had grown too, but they still cheered, "Little One is back!"

Baldy and Big Red, meanwhile, were frightened by the great willow at the village entrance. It was terrifying-even more terrifying than a god.

Baldy asked, "What's that willow's background? She's even more terrifying than a god. No wonder she could raise a pair of peerless monsters like you."

The God-Striking Stone said, "Now that's a true big shot."

Big Red trembled and said, "Big Brother, what kind of mighty god is she?"

Shi Hao said, "She's Willow Deity, our Stone Village's Sacrificial Spirit. She treats us really well."

The little pagoda on Shi Hao's head thought, Could she be that great figure?

The two boys jumped off Big Red and said to everyone in Stone Village, "We're back! Grandpa Chief, are you all here to welcome us?"

"Grandpa Chief, your hair and beard have turned black! You look younger!"

Then they said to Willow Deity, "Willow Deity, thank you for protecting Stone Village."

Willow Deity said, "Mm! Well done. Your training went perfectly, and you've grown stronger."

Old Grandpa chuckled. "It's good to have you back, good to have you back. Both of you little fellows have grown up."

"Oh, right, Little One. Where's Qingfeng?"

Shi Hao said, "Qingfeng wanted to stay at the Heaven Mending Pavilion to study and broaden his horizons. The elders there take good care of him. We'll go see him again after a while."

"That's good." Old Grandpa stroked his beard with a smile.

"Tonight, we're eating Primordial Remnant meat. I'll make a feast! I also brought lots of spirit herbs for Stone Village. I'll plant them here, and then Stone Village will never be short of Precious Medicine again."

With that, Shi Hao took out the spirit herbs he had pilfered from the Rain Clan's herb fields, the Precious Medicine he had scoured the Hundred Broken Mountains for, and three Pan Peach Trees.

When Willow Deity saw the three Precious Medicine Pan Peach Trees, she promptly instructed Shi Hao, "These are near-sacred Pan Peach Trees. Plant them in the village, and Stone Village's spiritual energy will grow richer and richer."

When Shi Hao brought out the Eight Treasure Chicken, Auntie Fei Jiao exclaimed in surprise, "There's a barnyard chicken too! We'll stew it in a bit."

Baldy hurried to stop her. "This is an Eight Treasure Chicken, one of the Eight Treasures of antiquity! Even its eggs are spirit medicine. I suggest raising it. Eating it just like that would be such a waste."

Auntie Fei Jiao was startled when she heard Baldy speak. "A talking barnyard chicken? And it has no feathers! That saves us some work-we won't even have to pluck it."

Baldy immediately retorted, "I'm a god, not a barnyard chicken!"

Just then, Willow Deity transmitted her voice. "You're from the Peacock clan. You were once a Venerable, and now you're undergoing nirvana rebirth."

"Yes, my lady. I was once the Peacock Venerable. Later, I was gravely wounded while being hunted by the Celestial Clan, so I hid in the Hundred Broken Mountains to undergo nirvana rebirth."

Before a mighty figure like Willow Deity, Baldy dared not speak recklessly. He respectfully recounted his story.

At that moment, Big Red's obnoxious voice rang out. "Baldy! You, a Venerable? Looking like that?"

"So Baldy was the Peacock Venerable."

Shi Hao was startled. This featherless bird had such an impressive background.

"He's only a Venerable, just a little stronger than us. Besides, Baldy is undergoing nirvana rebirth right now and hasn't recovered his strength. Baldy, you can settle down in Stone Village from now on. When you have time, give the villagers some guidance in cultivation. Shi Hao, hurry up and make the feast! I can't wait."

Baldy accepted Jun Moxiao's words. He liked this village too, especially with a mighty figure like Willow Deity here. Perhaps a little guidance from her would benefit him for the rest of his life.

Big Red declared that wherever Shi Hao went, Big Red would follow, showing a complete lack of shame. This fellow was a total goofball.

That evening, everyone in Stone Village ate the feast while listening to Shi Hao recount his adventures over the past two years.

Jun Moxiao came to lie like a corpse beneath the willow. Willow Deity was quite speechless at his Lazy Fish Mode, yet his strength was utterly heaven-defying.

"Little fellow, your strength is rising far too quickly. You're already at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm. How are the other geniuses supposed to live?"

Jun Moxiao said, "I can't help it! Sister Willow Deity, I met the Reincarnation Immortal King in a small world inside the Hundred Broken Mountains."

"Mm! The Reincarnation Immortal King was an Immortal King Giant of the Immortal Ancient era, but the Immortal Kings of the Foreign Realm later ganged up on him and killed him. Immortal King Wuzhong met the same fate. What you encountered should have been only a projection of a sliver of his remnant soul's consciousness."

Jun Moxiao said, "Yes! There was also a fragment of his weapon, the Reincarnation Disk. At the time, that disk was suppressing and trying to kill a sliver of the remnant soul of the Pu Demon King, an Immortal King. Later, I had the Haotian Pagoda destroy the Pu Demon King completely. Afterward, I encountered a Pu Demon Tree, and once I killed it, I discovered it was another reincarnated sliver of the Pu Demon King's remnant soul."

Willow Deity said, "The Haotian Pagoda? Another of your trump cards?"

Jun Moxiao said, "Yes! Sister Willow Deity, would you like to see it? The Haotian Pagoda is a Quasi-Immortal Emperor weapon. Although it's currently only a peak Immortal King weapon, it can eventually be upgraded into a Quasi-Immortal Emperor weapon."

Willow Deity was astonished. She had never expected the little fellow to possess a divine weapon of the Quasi-Immortal Emperor level.

"There's no need to see it for now. A Quasi-Immortal Emperor weapon-truly impressive. It seems that mighty being has ensured you're thoroughly protected. I was worried about your safety before. Did you also give Shi Hao that Void Dao Realm Kitchen Knife?"

Jun Moxiao said, "That's right! It was only a Heavenly God Weapon before. I gathered a heap of treasured artifacts in the Hundred Broken Mountains before I finally managed to upgrade it. Shi Hao's cooking is second to none. How could he go without a good knife?"

"Mm! Using a Void Dao Realm weapon to cook. If those great sects found out, wouldn't they be furious enough to die?"

Willow Deity was speechless too. The little fellow had actually given Shi Hao a kitchen knife. The thought of Shi Hao fighting people with it made her want to laugh.

Jun Moxiao said, "Sister Willow Deity! I obtained the Gu Precious Technique of the Ten Fiends and Immortal King Wuzhong's Time Technique. Let me pass them on to you, along with the True Dragon Treasure Technique, the Thunder Emperor Precious Technique, and the Kun Peng Precious Technique. Oh, and Enlightenment Tea leaves too."

Willow Deity was stunned. "You're giving me all these treasures? Immortal King Wuzhong's Time Technique, the Kun Peng, Gu, and Thunder Emperor Precious Techniques-what enormous karmic ties these carry. Aren't you afraid? Yet there doesn't seem to be even a trace of karmic burden on you."

Jun Moxiao explained, "The red lotus karmic flame protects me. No karmic burdens or sins can cling to me. Oh, right, Sister Willow Deity, I can use it to help clear away the karmic burdens on you."

Willow Deity marveled, "Such a powerful flame certainly doesn't exist in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Mm! I carry great karmic burdens too. I can bear them, but clearing them away would be good."

"Then I'll clear them away for you now, Sister Willow Deity. It might even help your cultivation."

"Come to my Divine Kingdom Space."

Willow Deity drew Jun Moxiao into her Divine Kingdom Space. Gazing at her Peerless Beauty, he asked, "Sister Willow Deity, what realm have you recovered to now?"

"The peak of the Self-Slaying Enlightenment Realm. It's thanks to all those supreme treasures of yours that I've recovered so quickly."

Willow Deity thought, This little fellow gives me every good thing he has. I'm almost embarrassed to accept them. The next moment, she thought of her future and felt at ease. This little fellow was the human cub she had raised. Only by becoming stronger now could she protect him. But then she remembered that he already possessed a Quasi-Immortal Emperor weapon, and it seemed he no longer needed her protection. Willow Deity was filled with anticipation for the future.

Jun Moxiao waved a hand casually. "Don't stand on ceremony, Sister Willow Deity. Let me pass these precious techniques and divine abilities on to you first!"

Willow Deity also passed several other cultivation methods she had obtained on to Jun Moxiao, including the Indestructible Scripture.

She thought, Could this little fellow already have these cultivation methods too?

Jun Moxiao summoned the red lotus karmic flame and helped Willow Deity burn away her karmic burdens. Red flames enveloped her Peerless Beauty.

Willow Deity's voice came from within the flames. "This fire isn't very hot! It feels comfortable. I can feel my karmic burdens vanishing rapidly. Some of the shackles on my soul have disappeared too."

Before long, all the karmic burdens on Willow Deity had vanished.

Jun Moxiao withdrew the red lotus karmic flame and asked, "Sister Willow Deity! How do you feel?"

Willow Deity felt incomparably comfortable. Even her strength had increased considerably. It was truly miraculous.

"My karmic burdens are all gone. I've never felt so comfortable. Even my heart mirror is utterly clear, and it feels as though my soul has been sublimated."

"That's good. Now you can recover even faster, Sister Willow Deity."

Jun Moxiao took out several Enlightenment Tea leaves and a few bottles of Divine Soul Liquid for Willow Deity. "Sister Willow Deity, use these tea leaves for now. Oh! There's also this stuff called Divine Soul Liquid. I don't know whether it will be useful to you."

Willow Deity took them and examined them. "Enlightenment Tea leaves are a supreme treasure for gaining insights in cultivation. Divine Soul Liquid helps the soul, especially an injured one. It's good stuff."

"Earlier, when I was trying to save the Heaven Mending Pavilion, I promised a few people I'd help them recultivate the Blood Moving and Cave Heaven Realms. When the time comes, I'm sorry for the trouble, but I'll need you to help give them a baptism, Sister Willow Deity."

Jun Moxiao asked Willow Deity to help the three women recultivate. He imagined something like this would pose no problem for her.

Willow Deity considered it. "That's no problem, provided their aptitude isn't too poor. There are also many First Generation prodigies in the Upper Realm who cut away their own cultivation and recultivate each realm to refine their foundations."

"Their talent is pretty good. They're considered top geniuses even across the entire Desolate Region!"

"In a few days, it'll be time to give Shi Hao a baptism. But we should pass the Thunder Emperor Precious Technique on to him first. He'll probably face a Heavenly Tribulation when he opens his eleventh Cave Heaven. With that technique, things should go a little better. I hope he can open eleven Cave Heavens."

Jun Moxiao discussed helping the War Goddess and the others recultivate the Blood Moving Mirror with Willow Deity, as well as Shi Hao opening eleven Cave Heavens.

Willow Deity asked in surprise, "You have that much confidence in him? He isn't as heaven-defying as you."

"Shi Hao survived even after his Supreme Bone was dug out, and now it has revived. Back in the Hundred Broken Mountains, he practically ate his way through the whole place. He consumed taiyi true water and Monkey Wine, along with countless Primordial Remnants and spirit herbs. When he opened his Ten Cave Heavens, we added the Spring of Life and Supreme Liquid, and his Supreme Bone revived on the spot."

"The Reincarnation Immortal King, Immortal King Wuzhong, and the others divined the future and discovered that one person would ultimately end the darkness. It seems he's that Child of Destiny!" Willow Deity had known something of those matters back then.

"The Reincarnation Immortal King told me too. They divined Shi Hao!"

"Then let's see how Shi Hao performs!"

Jun Moxiao spoke of the ways Shi Hao defied the heavens. Now Willow Deity also felt that Shi Hao could succeed, because she believed in the little fellow before her.