Everyone was immensely curious about the village Shi Hao had mentioned. They all wanted to see the place where he had grown up.
Shi Hao's past was no longer a secret. His Supreme Bone had been dug out when he was young, leaving him on the verge of death, yet he had survived and grown into such a monstrous talent.
They all suspected that some great figure was nurturing Shi Hao. Otherwise, he could never have achieved so much.
After half a day's journey, afternoon arrived, and under Shi Hao's lead, Yun Ying and the others finally reached Stone Village.
The first thing they saw was a willow rooted at the village entrance. Over a hundred branches hung down, swaying gently and radiating a soft, rosy glow, suffused with a sacred aura.
"This is our village's Sacrificial Spirit," Shi Hao introduced.
A glimmer of understanding flashed through Yun Ying's eyes. This truly was an extraordinary being. Even the Gray-Clad Woman she had seen earlier had not possessed such majesty.
"So sacred." Everyone was utterly awestruck. Even the Sacrificial Spirits of ancient kingdoms fell far short.
Looking farther in, they saw people moving about the village, adults and children alike.
"Little Uncle is back!"
"Oh, Little Hao brought people back to the village. That's a first." Not only had the children spotted them, but some of the adults had noticed them too.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a scream snapped everyone out of their thoughts. They saw that Shi Hao had already hoisted Huo Ling'er and Yun Xi onto his shoulders and was running into the village.
"Holy shit... that's fucking badass!"
The Nine-Headed Lion and the others could not help swearing at the sight. They had never expected Shi Hao to be so bold.
However, they immediately turned to Yun Ying and found