Nearly half a year passed, and news spread that a Mountain Treasure had emerged in the Great Wilderness. The great sects and powerful families of the Great Wilderness all mobilized to search for it.
The news reached Stone Village too. Jun Moxiao asked the Willow Deity, "Sister Willow Deity, do you know what the Mountain Treasure is?"
"I know a little. It should be something left behind by the Upper Realm. Why?"
"We could go snatch up a tremendous opportunity like that!"
"I can't act for now. Otherwise, I'll draw the attention of powerful figures in the Upper Realm."
"All right! We'll think of something when the time comes."
The Willow Deity explained the Mountain Treasure's origins to the little fellow. Jun Moxiao had wanted this mighty expert to seize it outright, but she refused.
Jun Moxiao calculated inwardly that he would have to rely on himself to obtain the Mountain Treasure. He then asked the Willow Deity many more questions about the Upper Realm, and she patiently answered them. After several years together, she had grown increasingly fond of the little fellow.
Jun Moxiao was determined to obtain the Mountain Treasure. It contained the Supreme Hall's legacy! Later, he would have to find a way to get an enormous cheat from the system and see whether he could snatch it.
That day, the sky was clear for ten thousand miles. It was a fine day.
A party searching for the Mountain Treasure appeared at Stone Village's entrance. They came from the Purple Mountain Clan and the Flood Roc tribe of Mount Luofu's great marsh, as well as Cloud Heaven Palace and the Diamond Wolf tribe.
They were surprised to find such a village deep in the Great Wilderness, with a group of children practicing their punches. Most striking of all was the charred old stump at the entrance, bearing five tender willow branches brimming with boundless vitality. Beside it stood two Green-Scaled Eagles, one large and one small-Primordial Demonic Birds. This little village was no ordinary place.
An elder from Mount Luofu's Flood Roc tribe told the others, "This little village is no ordinary place. Those willow branches on the old stump are mine."
The people from the Purple Mountain Clan and the Diamond Wolf tribe declared that whoever seized them would own them. Like invading Japanese soldiers descending on a village, the crowd swarmed into Stone Village.
The outsiders' intrusion alerted the villagers. Men and women, young and old, all braced themselves.
Old Clan Chief Shi Yunfeng asked the people who had suddenly barged into Stone Village, "Which great families do you belong to? What brings you to our Stone Village?"
An elder of the Purple Mountain Clan told Shi Yunfeng, "We're from Mount Luofu's great marsh. We happened to notice that you can live deep in the Great Wilderness. Are you some hidden family? Look at these children. They're like Fierce Beast cubs, each brimming with the vigor of dragons and tigers."
Hearing that they belonged to powerful families he could not afford to offend, Shi Yunfeng replied modestly, "We're only ordinary villagers, not some hidden family."
A middle-aged man from the Flood Roc tribe suggested, "Your village's youngsters look quite promising. We happen to have a few youngsters of our own. How about letting them compete?"
From their bearing, Shi Yunfeng feared they had come with ill intent. He looked around for Little One, Shi Hao, knowing that the boy had recently learned a Treasure Technique from the Willow Deity.
Shi Yunfeng asked, "Where did Little One go?"
Just then, Jun Moxiao lazily rose beside the willow stump and said, "Grandpa Chief, I know where he is."
Jun Moxiao ran to Shi Hao's usual training spot. As soon as he arrived, he saw Shi Hao holding a milk jar and gulping down Beast Milk.
Jun Moxiao shook his head and teased him. "Shi Hao, you're almost six, and you still haven't been weaned? Too embarrassed to drink in front of everyone, so you sneak off to drink alone? Afraid they'll laugh at you? Hahaha...!"
Shi Hao hurriedly said, "Xiaoxiao, didn't you drink it before too? Want some?"
"Stop drinking for now. How's your practice of the Golden Roc Treasure Technique and the Suanni Treasure Technique coming along?" Jun Moxiao asked about his progress.
Shi Hao waved a hand and said smugly, "I've mastered both the Golden Roc Precious Technique and the Suanni Precious Technique. I'm really strong now. Want to fight again? I think I might be able to beat you now."
"Forget our sparring for now. People have come to bully Stone Village. Grandpa Chief wants you to fight their young geniuses. They're from the Flood Roc tribe and the Purple Mountain Clan of Mount Luofu's great marsh, and the Diamond Wolf tribe. They even have a Fierce Beast, a Flood Dragon. These people belong to major powers, and they haven't come with good intentions."
Hearing Jun Moxiao say this, Shi Hao immediately got to his feet and shouted excitedly.
"They have a Fierce Beast too? Looks like we're having another Fierce Beast feast tonight. But why aren't you fighting? If you went out there, they'd all end up on their knees."
Jun Moxiao spread his hands helplessly. "The Willow Deity won't let me fight casually. Besides, I'm not even four yet. If I knocked them all down, I might attract serious trouble. And isn't this a chance for you to get some practice? You just mastered the Suanni Precious Technique and the Golden Roc Precious Technique. They're perfect for testing them out."
Shi Hao remembered the Willow Deity saying that this fellow was too young and should not be allowed to fight casually.
Shi Hao decided it would be better to handle it himself. At the thought of an imminent fight, his blood boiled, and he raced madly back to the village with Jun Moxiao.
Seeing the village's two strongest little warriors arrive, Shi Yunfeng felt reassured.
Shi Yunfeng instructed Shi Hao, "Little One, they're youngsters from Mount Luofu's great marsh, and they want to compete with us. Go have a match with them."
Following the old man's instructions, Shi Hao swaggered over with a stride that acknowledged neither kith nor kin, then stood to one side to await a challenger.
"Who wants to fight me? Bring it on!"
Flood Roc attacked first, charging at Shi Hao. The instant he reached him, Shi Hao lashed out with a lightning-fast kick and sent him flying straight out of the village.
"Aaargh...!" Kicked out of the village like a piece of trash, he let out a miserable scream.
Shi Hao dusted off his foot and said smugly, "Next."
A young man from the Purple Mountain Clan attacked Shi Hao with a lightning-infused Treasure Technique. Shi Hao curled his lip. That little bit of lightning is nothing but trash compared to my Suanni Treasure Technique.
Shi Hao sent the Purple Mountain Clan youth flying with a single use of the Suanni Precious Technique, then said smugly, "Not one of you can put up a fight."
The twin sisters from Cloud Heaven Palace smiled. "He's so strong, and he's cute too."
The older generation from Mount Luofu's great marsh could no longer sit still. Wasn't this a slap to their faces? More importantly, the Purple Mountain Clan elder had recognized Shi Hao's technique as the Suanni Treasure Technique.
Greed gleamed in the elder's eyes as he looked at Shi Hao, and he reached out a large hand to seize him. Meanwhile, the Flood Roc elder prepared to pluck the willow branches from the old stump.
Shi Yunfeng snapped, "You great families have gone too far!"
Jun Moxiao thought, These fellows actually have designs on Sister Willow Deity. Isn't that like lighting a lamp in a latrine-looking for death?
Sure enough, the Willow Deity sent out her branches and skewered the Flood Roc and Purple Mountain Clan experts into a string, along with the Diamond Wolf experts.
Willow Deity-brand skewers: enjoy to your heart's content, everything half off.
The Flood Roc tribe's Flood Dragon mount tried to escape. Shi Hao shouted, "Willow Deity, don't let that Fierce Beast get away!"
The Flood Dragon had barely tried to fly off when the Willow Deity pierced it clean through and tossed it onto Stone Village's square.
The experts from Mount Luofu's great marsh had all been skewered like barbecue, leaving only the Cloud Heaven Palace elder and his twin granddaughters.
The Cloud Heaven Palace elder asked in terror, "Is this a god? So powerful!"
Shi Hao explained, "This is our village's Sacrificial Spirit, the Willow Deity."
The Cloud Heaven Palace elder hurriedly told the Willow Deity, "Thank you for showing mercy, Divine One."
With that, he left with his two granddaughters. The twins even told Shi Hao that he could visit Cloud Heaven Palace sometime.
Watching this, Jun Moxiao grinned at Shi Hao. "Shi Hao! Two female Fierce Beasts have taken a fancy to you. Scared?"
The village's uncles and aunties immediately teased Shi Hao. "Little One, those two sisters are beautiful. Carry them back to the village as your wives someday."
The aunties' teasing turned Shi Hao's little face bright red, making him look adorable.
That evening, Stone Village cooked the Fierce Beast's Flood Dragon Meat, and everyone spent the night amid cheerful laughter.
In this man-eating world of the Great Wilderness, life in Stone Village seemed especially peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful. There were no conflicts here, no scheming against one another. The villagers were so simple and kind.
This place was a paradise beyond the world. Even after Shi Hao became the Desolate Heaven Emperor, who stood alone in judgment over all eternity, Stone Village remained the pure land he cherished most.
Jun Moxiao brought a piece of Flood Dragon Meat beneath the willow and asked, "Sister Willow Deity, would you like some?"
Inside the Divine Kingdom Space, the Willow Deity pursed her lips and said, "No!"
Jun Moxiao took out a Ginseng Fruit he had obtained earlier and offered it to the Willow Deity. "Sister Willow Deity, I brought this with me. It's called a Ginseng Fruit. Eating it will greatly help your recovery."
The Willow Deity sensed that the Ginseng Fruit contained the power of complete laws and would be a great help to her. She quickly accepted it and told Jun Moxiao, "Xiaoxiao, I've taken on a great karmic debt to you. How about I teach you some more of my methods?"
Jun Moxiao said, "Sister Willow Deity, there's no need. I feel that the great god who sent me to this world left me plenty of things. I just haven't remembered them yet."
The Willow Deity asked, "What great god? Who could be so powerful?"
Jun Moxiao said, "I don't know either. Maybe I'll find out when I grow up."
Peaceful days returned to Stone Village, and Shi Hao trained diligently every day.
Jun Moxiao asked the Willow Deity to teach Shi Hao the Phoenix Nirvana Method, to see whether it would help his Supreme Bone regenerate.
The Ten Fiends' precious techniques had not yet been taught to him, because Shi Hao was still cultivating in the Blood Moving Mirror. They would have to wait at least until he had cultivated the Original True Understanding.
In Jun Moxiao's plans, Shi Hao had to exceed a hundred thousand jin of strength in the Blood Moving Mirror, surpassing his strength in the original plot by several tens of thousands of jin. When they went out to fight in the future, Shi Hao could sweep through everyone alone, while Jun Moxiao would simply enjoy the show.
During Shi Hao's earlier clash with the people from Mount Luofu's great marsh, Jun Moxiao had also lifted his Seal. His strength had surpassed the extreme limit of the Blood Moving Mirror, reaching a hundred and eighty thousand jin with a single swing of one arm. This should have made him the strongest in the Blood Moving Realm.
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