Stone Kingdom

The aura released by a sacred medicine like the Soul-Attracting Lotus could help people refine their minds and increase their soul power.

After breaking through to the Inscription Realm, Yun Ying had chosen to cultivate here in seclusion, drawing in the Soul-Attracting Lotus's aura to refine her sword soul.

The ringing of swords echoed through the area. The light at Yun Ying's brow blazed like a great sun, pure and flawless white. Through its dazzling radiance, the outline of a tiny sword could be seen, growing ever more condensed, almost taking solid form.

Powerful fluctuations of soul power spread outward, making even the void tremble faintly.

Gradually, a faint purple halo began to tint the pure white soul sword. Great Dao Symbols turned into purple clouds of light, winding around the sword soul and descending to brand themselves upon it.

Clang!

As one symbol of the Great Dao was successfully branded onto it, the sword soul shuddered violently, actually sending out a shower of sparks with a metallic ring.

At the same time, Yun Ying's body trembled. A crack even appeared at her brow, seeping a trace of blood. Strangely, that blood carried a faint purple hue, with mysterious runic light shimmering within it.

Immediately afterward, the second symbol of the Great Dao descended. Sparks flew, and another fine crack appeared on Yun Ying's forehead.

One symbol of the Great Dao after another branded itself onto the sword soul, as though divine iron were colliding, causing cracks to appear across Yun Ying's flesh and trickles of blood to seep out.

She looked as though she were about to shatter, with fissures spreading from her head down through her body.

However, as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into her, her flesh never broke apart any further. It healed, then split open again under the shocks, repeating the cycle.

After more than two hours, every symbol of the Great Dao had been branded onto the sword soul.

The once flawless, pure white sword soul now gleamed with purple light. Runes flickered across it, and it had gained a metallic luster. Condensed as though solid, it seemed to have become one with the Great Dao of heaven and earth, taking on a transcendent aura.

The sword soul hummed softly, its keen edge shimmering. Its powerful sword intent remained poised but unreleased, yet countless tiny tears opened in the surrounding void.

A little later, the sword soul vanished, and Yun Ying's aura surged. The cracks across her body swiftly healed, all disappearing in an instant.

The turbulent aura gradually settled, and the fluctuations around Yun Ying subsided, becoming as tranquil as water. Her entire being radiated a Dao resonance that united her with heaven and earth, as though she were constantly in a state of oneness with them.

Meanwhile, in the distant Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital, waves of upheaval were stirring, shocking the world.

That day, Yun Xi came to tell her that the Stone Kingdom's emperor's birthday banquet was approaching. Invitations had already been sent to the various sacred mountains, inviting them to celebrate his birthday, and Heavenly God Mountain was naturally among them.

"Do I have to go?" Yun Ying asked.

Smiling, Yun Xi took her hand. "Just think of it as keeping me company. You shouldn't always stay home cultivating, either. You need to go out for some fresh air now and then."

Unable to stand her ground against her, Yun Ying nodded. "All right."

Afterward, Yun Ying went outside with Yun Xi.

"Yun Ying, Yun Xi, we've been waiting for you," Yin Xue said, immediately waving when she saw them.

Aside from Heavenly God Mountain, people from several other sacred mountains would also be heading to the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital. Only the young people were going, however, with Azure Sky Sacred Mountain being the exception.

The venerable from Azure Sky Sacred Mountain had long since been unable to sit still after hearing that Bear Child had appeared in the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital and caused an enormous stir.

That was because his younger grandson, Qing Yun, had been slaughtered and eaten by Bear Child. Even his elder grandson, Qing Ming, had nearly fallen victim to Bear Child's ruthless hands.

Thus, taking advantage of this trip to the Stone Kingdom to celebrate the Stone Emperor's birthday, the venerable from Azure Sky Sacred Mountain intended to eliminate Bear Child and vent the hatred in his heart.

The young people from the sacred mountains were all entranced when they saw Yun Ying and Yun Xi approaching. The two were twin divine maidens of the Primordial Sacred Mountain, with countless admirers.

Unfortunately, Yun Ying and Yun Xi's status was far too high. They were the young mistresses of Heavenly God Mountain, and even among all the Primordial Sacred Mountains combined, there were only a handful of outstanding young people worthy of them.

Moreover, Yun Ying was so powerful that her talent had long since left the younger generation of the Primordial Sacred Mountain behind in the dust.

If courting Yun Xi still offered some small chance, then courting Yun Ying was impossible.

"Let's go." Once they were ready, Yun Ying and the others set off in a war chariot for the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital.

Several days later, the war chariot arrived outside the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital. After the Stone Kingdom's soldiers checked their invitation, it entered the imperial capital without obstruction.

Because Yun Ying and the others were guests from the Primordial Sacred Mountain, a powerful member of the Stone Kingdom's imperial clan personally received them and led them to a luxurious courtyard residence within the imperial capital.

Until the day of the Stone Emperor's birthday banquet, Yun Ying and the others would stay there temporarily. They were also free to wander around the imperial capital.

At that point, fewer than two days remained before the Stone Emperor's birthday banquet began.

Upon arriving in the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital, Yun Ying and the others heard plenty of news, such as how the Great Demon God had recently wreaked havoc at the Martial King Manor and the Rain King Mansion, defeated both the Martial King and the Rain King in succession, and even slain a spirit avatar belonging to a venerable from Demon Spirit Lake.

There was also the news that Bear Child's real name was Shi Hao and that he was the Great Demon God's grandson. Born with a Supreme Bone, he had been persecuted by his clansmen as a small child, his Supreme Bone dug out and transplanted into Shi Yi's body.

People throughout the imperial capital were discussing these matters, which had even overshadowed the Stone Emperor's birthday banquet.

In the quiet courtyard, Yun Ying sat in a pavilion, her long ponytail trailing to the ground. Her aura blended with heaven and earth, making her seem like a natural landscape painting.

She watched the fish swimming in the pond, her gaze deep and gentle. Every movement carried the charm of the Dao following nature.

In the distance, many young people gathered, stealing glances in her direction with infatuation in their eyes.

A little later, footsteps broke the silence. Yun Xi and Yin Xue walked toward the pavilion and came up to Yun Ying.

"Yun Ying, it's so lively outside! There's lots of explosive news, too," Yin Xue said, sitting down and immediately launching into a stream of chatter.

Yun Ying withdrew her gaze and looked at them. "What happened?"

Yun Xi said nothing, instead motioning for Yin Xue to continue. Without keeping them in suspense, Yin Xue recounted a series of major events that had occurred in the Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital over the past few days. Every one of them was shocking.

"Is that so?" After listening to Yin Xue's account, Yun Ying's expression remained calm, without any particular reaction.

This puzzled Yin Xue and Yun Xi. They had been astonished when they heard about these events, so why did they fail to raise even a ripple in Yun Ying?

"Yun Ying, your reaction is so flat," Yin Xue muttered.

"What else should I do? Do I need to put on a surprised expression?" Yun Ying asked in return.

Caught off guard by the question, Yin Xue said, "Not exactly. It's just, how should I put it? I'd still like to see you react a little. Maybe tell us what you think about Bear Child, or something."

"What I think? Honestly, I don't have any particular thoughts. He is himself, and I am myself. Without sharing the same experiences, I naturally can't truly feel what he felt. An opinion like that would be meaningless, too." Yun Ying shook her head.