After enjoying a lavish feast, Jun Moxiao brought the three women before Willow Deity and solemnly explained the matter of restarting their cultivation in the Blood Moving Realm.
"Senior sisters, I said before that I would help you open ten Cave Heavens because I thought your aptitude was decent. But that's only by the standards of the lower realm's Desolate Region. Compared with the prodigies of the Upper Realm, you're merely ordinary talents. Only by opening ten Cave Heavens in the Cave Heaven Realm can you compete with them when you go there. Now, we need to sever your cultivation so you can cultivate the Blood Moving Realm anew. Do you have the courage? Do you want to compete with them in the Upper Realm someday?"
The three women cried out, "Sever our cultivation and start over?"
The Fire Emperor had heard of this method too, but only those with courage dared attempt it.
Jun Moxiao said to Willow Deity, "Sister Willow Deity, you explain it to them!"
Willow Deity took over and explained the process to the three women in detail.
"Many First Generation supremes in the Upper Realm have severed their cultivation to start over. Some have even done so several times. They use this method to polish their foundations repeatedly so that every realm reaches its utmost limit. Previously, none of you reached a hundred thousand jin of physical strength in the Blood Moving Realm. If you cultivate it anew and attain that strength, you will be able to open ten Cave Heavens in the Cave Heaven Realm."
Willow Deity then told them about Jun Moxiao's and Shi Hao's strength in the Blood Moving Realm.
"Shi Hao reached a hundred and thirty-five thousand jin of physical strength in the Blood Moving Realm, and even that was only achieved under Xiaoxiao's prodding. Xiaoxiao, however, reached a hundred and eighty thousand jin, the Only One in Ten Thousand Ages."
The three women paled with shock. "A hundred and eighty thousand jin in the Blood Moving Realm? Is that something a human can do? Is our junior brother even human?"
The Fire Emperor and Vermilion Bird were even more stunned. No wonder the Void God Realm had called him unprecedented and never to be surpassed. He had even opened an inconceivable thirteen Cave Heavens in the Cave Heaven Realm.
Willow Deity asked, "Have you decided? The process will be extremely painful."
The three women exchanged glances. If they wanted to grow stronger, they had to seize this one and only opportunity. No one would willingly let such a chance slip away.
The War Goddess and Xia Youyu had already agreed that only by following that little fellow from now on would they have a future.
Thus, the three women declared firmly, "We're willing to start over. Sorry for the trouble, Lady Willow Deity!"
"Senior sisters, cultivation has no limits. You must have a brave heart. In this world, if you don't strive to grow stronger, the times will leave you behind. Don't worry. I've prepared all the precious and sacred medicines for you."
Jun Moxiao took out two small vials of True Dragon Blood and Heavenly Horned Ant Blood. He also used all the remaining precious blood of the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and Qiongqi, along with ten drops of Supreme Liquid, handing everything to Willow Deity to arrange.
"Sister Willow Deity, this is the True Dragon Blood and Heavenly Horned Ant Blood I prepared for my senior sisters, along with the other ingredients. Please administer their baptism!"
"Senior Fire Emperor, get all the precious medicines you collected earlier ready. Willow Deity will handle the baptism for my three senior sisters next."
"Hao Tian, fill a vial with your blood. Your Supreme Bone has revived, so we need some of your precious blood for their baptism. I'll give some too, to add something potent to the mix."
Jun Moxiao handed his and Shi Hao's precious blood to Willow Deity. With so many extraordinary kinds of precious blood, including that of a True Dragon and a Heavenly Horned Ant, he felt certain they would succeed.
Two hours later, all preparations were complete. The various precious medicines were already simmering in the village's great cauldron, and Jun Moxiao called out loudly to everyone.
"All the men in the village, clear out! Aunties and Little Red, stand guard. Willow Deity will baptize my three senior sisters, and no one must disturb them. Senior Fire Emperor, let's go outside the village. I have something to discuss with you."
Next, Willow Deity severed the three women's cultivation, and they soaked in the great cauldron, receiving the baptism of the extraordinary precious medicines.
It was an agonizing transformation, and their screams echoed throughout Stone Village.
Outside the village, the screams made the Fire Emperor's heart pound with alarm. He asked worriedly, "Xiaoxiao, can they succeed?"
Shi Hao said with complete confidence, "Don't worry, Senior Fire Emperor! Willow Deity is incredibly powerful. Our senior sisters will definitely succeed."
Curious about Willow Deity, the Fire Emperor asked, "How did Lady Willow Deity become Stone Village's Sacrificial Spirit? I remember legends saying that the Sacrificial Spirit of Stone Village's ancestral land was the God-Striking Stone, and later a strange black stone."
"Those must have been Sacrificial Spirits from long ago. Willow Deity suffered grievous injuries before and underwent something like a rebirth through nirvana. The old chief said that decades ago, on a stormy night, Willow Deity descended from the heavens bathed in lightning, landed in Stone Village, took root here, and became its Sacrificial Spirit. I reckon Willow Deity's former cultivation was at least beyond the supreme level."
Jun Moxiao certainly wasn't going to reveal that he was Perfect World's walking encyclopedia. Willow Deity had once been an Immortal King, but that was not something he could casually tell them.
Shi Hao and the Fire Emperor gasped. "Beyond the supreme level?"
Jun Moxiao said, "Shh! Don't spread this around. Bury this secret in your hearts, or it will bring tremendous karma."
Shi Hao asked curiously, "Xiaoxiao! Is that really true? How do you know so much?"
Jun Moxiao said, "Just take it as true for now. I'll tell you once you're stronger."
Jun Moxiao asked the Fire Emperor, "Senior Fire Emperor! The Desolate Region Calamity is coming soon. Are you planning to go to the Upper Realm?"
The Fire Emperor replied, "That is my plan. The Desolate Region Calamity is the Upper Realm harvesting us in the lower realm like chives. Even Venerable Realm experts cannot escape. Please look after Ling'er afterward."
Jun Moxiao said, "Senior Fire Emperor, we would help Senior Sister Ling'er even without you asking. Besides, Shi Hao and Senior Sister Ling'er are so close. Perhaps their relationship will develop in an even better direction."
Shi Hao felt a little embarrassed beside them. Jun Moxiao had laid his relationship with Huo Ling'er bare before the Fire Emperor.
The Fire Emperor could also see how close his beloved daughter was to Shi Hao, like a pair of bickering sweethearts. He wanted her to find a good partner too. These two peerless prodigies before him were undoubtedly the best candidates. Whichever one his darling daughter chose, she would have struck gold. But from the look of things, Ling'er had clearly chosen Shi Hao.
Thus, the Fire Emperor said to Shi Hao, "I cannot ask too much of you. A genius like you is destined to stand invincible in this world. I only hope you will treat Ling'er well in the future. This is a father's request on behalf of his daughter."
Shi Hao's face reddened. This was a request from his future father-in-law! He hurriedly pointed to his chest and promised.
"Rest assured, Senior Fire Emperor! I'll take good care of Junior Sister."
At that moment, Jun Moxiao thought that the Fire Emperor would be nothing but a weakling if he went to the Upper Realm now, so he offered a suggestion.
"Senior Fire Emperor, I don't recommend going to the Upper Realm during the Desolate Region Calamity. With your Divine Fire Realm cultivation, you would be nothing but a weakling there. Besides, the Upper Realm ruthlessly suppresses people from the lower realm. You'd be better off hiding and going there with us later. The Heaven Mending Pavilion's Sacrificial Spirit, Divine Vine, previously said that when the calamity comes, a formation will conceal the pavilion. I suggest you discuss it with Senior Divine Vine."
The Fire Emperor asked in surprise, "Would that work?"
Jun Moxiao said, "It would. Perhaps the Desolate Region Calamity will end differently this time."
"Xiaoxiao, are you planning to use that move from before?"
Shi Hao thought of Jun Moxiao's divine ability, Summon Future Self, and felt he would probably use it.
Jun Moxiao said, "We'll see. Perhaps I won't need it."
The Fire Emperor asked, "Does Xiaoxiao have a trump card? Could Lady Willow Deity be taking action?"
"There's no need for Willow Deity to act. I'll give everyone a surprise when the time comes."
Jun Moxiao thought for a moment, then instructed Shi Hao, "Hao Tian, pass the Phoenix Treasure Art on to Senior Fire Emperor!"
The Fire Emperor started and sucked in a breath of cold air. The Phoenix Treasure Art, one of the Ten Fiends' treasure arts!
Shi Hao worried that a treasure art of the Ten Fiends would bring the Fire Emperor great trouble.
"But Willow Deity said all the Ten Fiends' treasure arts carry tremendous karma. It could bring Senior Fire Emperor trouble. Will Willow Deity agree?"
"You'll bear the tremendous karma Senior Fire Emperor incurs by learning the Phoenix Treasure Art. Pass it on to him. I can make the decision about the Phoenix Treasure Art. Willow Deity will listen to me."
What a joke. All the Ten Fiends' treasure arts had come from the system. What karma could there be? Even if there was any, he could push it onto Shi Hao. Bearing karma for his own father-in-law was perfectly reasonable. He was Perfect World's child of destiny anyway.
Shi Hao could only follow Jun Moxiao's arrangement and pass the Phoenix Treasure Art on to the Fire Emperor. While he was at it, he also imparted all the high-level Fierce Beast treasure arts he had learned. This was his future father-in-law, his own family, and he had to treat him well.
After receiving them, the Fire Emperor felt he had struck gold. These two little fellows were towering pillars of support; he had to cling tightly to them.
Jun Moxiao warned him, "Senior Fire Emperor, make sure you keep this secret. At most, you may let Senior Sister Ling'er and Vermilion Bird learn this treasure art. Don't use it until you're strong enough. Every treasure art of the Ten Fiends carries tremendous karma."
The Fire Emperor assured him that no one would be foolish enough to expose treasure arts that could drive the great sects mad.
The Fire Emperor said to Shi Hao with a sigh of admiration, "Your Shi Clan truly produces exceptional people. The Martial King Manor produced geniuses like you and Shi Yi. But although Shi Yi has both Double Pupils and Supreme Bone, his character is lacking. He's a petty villain, nowhere near your equal. After losing your Supreme Bone, you were reborn through nirvana and became even stronger."
Shi Hao said earnestly, "I was lucky. I survived disaster and met Xiaoxiao and Willow Deity, and Grandpa Chief and the others took care of me. Now, my cousin Shi Yi isn't worth mentioning in my eyes. Xiaoxiao is the one I aim to catch up with."
Jun Moxiao patted Shi Hao's shoulder. "Hao Tian, once a supreme, always a supreme. Besides, you are a supreme yourself. A single bone cannot define that."
In Stone Village's square, after the War Goddess and the others had screamed inside the great cauldron for three days and nights, the process finally ended. The lid opened, and three stunning figures soared into the sky. Their innate talents had been elevated in every respect. Huo Ling'er had even awakened part of her ancestral bloodline and turned into a great beauty, looking just as she did later in the animated series.
Seeing the earth-shaking changes in their talents, Willow Deity spoke to the three women.
"The baptism is complete, and its results exceeded expectations. You have undergone a comprehensive elevation. Your physical strength in the Blood Moving Realm has directly reached the ultimate limit of a hundred thousand jin. Now, settle your condition and break through to the Cave Heaven Realm again. With Xiaoxiao's and Shi Hao's precious blood added earlier, your constitutions and talents have risen to the level of the Upper Realm's First Generation supremes. Opening ten Cave Heavens should pose no problem."
The three women hurriedly bowed to Willow Deity. "Thank you, Lady Willow Deity."
Willow Deity said, "There is no need for thanks. You should thank those two little fellows. Shi Hao's supreme precious blood and Xiaoxiao's powerful, mysterious precious blood directly improved your talents, raising you from ordinary geniuses to extraordinary ones. Your future enemies will be immensely powerful. I hope you work hard to grow stronger and do not disappoint Xiaoxiao's expectations."
The three women said excitedly, "Rest assured, Lady Willow Deity. We will definitely work hard."
Meanwhile, Jun Moxiao received Willow Deity's message and hurriedly told the Fire Emperor about the three women's transformation.
"Senior Fire Emperor, they succeeded. I reckon Senior Sister Ling'er awakened her ancestral bloodline. There were even unusual manifestations just now."
The Fire Emperor said excitedly, "Yes! I sensed it. Come on, let's go back and see."
At that moment, the Fire Emperor looked nothing like an emperor. Like a two-hundred-jin child, he jumped with delight, thinking that Huo Ling'er might surpass their Sacred Emperor ancestor.
If Jun Moxiao knew how modest the Fire Emperor's wish was, he would certainly say, "Tch! What does your Sacred Emperor ancestor amount to? A Heavenly God at most. After cultivating anew, Huo Ling'er will someday reach the level of your forebear, the Vermilion Bird King. That was one of the Border Wasteland Seven Kings!"
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