Seeing the young couple's pitiful state, Shi Yunfeng turned away and shook his head, ultimately unable to bear it, and pointed out a path.
"Go and pray to the Willow Deity; perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope. She is the Sacrificial Spirit of our tribe."
The Shi Ziling couple showed little joy. In the past few days, they had become familiar with Stone Village and knew the place inside and out—it was indeed the ancestral home of the Shi Clan, but it had long since declined and could no longer reproduce its ancient glory, and even the cultivation methods had not been left behind.
Seeing through their thoughts, Shi Yunfeng adopted a serious attitude and brought up the terrifying scene of the dark demonic bird's death yesterday.
"Never disrespect the Sacrificial Spirit! We are but ordinary people, but the Willow Deity possesses great power!" the old patriarch admonished, taking out a deep, translucent black feather.
Today, the creatures of Stone Village searched the surrounding area and found this to be the only remaining item, but it is absolutely precious.
"This is..."
Shi Ziling's expression changed drastically as he watched the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow Shi Ziling Feather; his heart nearly stopped.
The jet-black feather, with its dark rose luster and mysterious fluctuations, caused a slight distortion in space just by touching Void. In Shi Ziling's eyes, this divine feather was even more extraordinary, containing Bone Text that were profound and powerful, flowing with dark Divine Radiance, and covered with symbols, making it priceless.
These are the feathers of a top-tier demonic bird from the Desolate Region. The fact that they're here signifies something.
Perhaps... the ancestral land has not declined, its glory still remains, only its immense power has been transferred to the Sacrificial Spirit.
Thinking of this, Shi Ziling was extremely excited, experiencing great joy after great sorrow.
The two bowed deeply, expressing their sincere gratitude to Elder Shi Yunfeng, for this guidance was more important than anything else.
The elders also did their best to help, getting the able-bodied men in the village to bring offerings so they could hold a grand ceremony and hope that the Willow Deity would appear.
"I'm going to hunt down a few real ferocious beasts." Shi Ziling's face was flushed, and he was full of vitality, as if a dying lamp had been rekindled. He rode off on a rainbow.
Soon, as several ferocious beasts fell—all possessing powerful bloodlines within a thousand-mile radius—the largest sacrificial ceremony in Stone Village in fifty years began...
Shi Ziling and Qin Yining prostrated themselves in worship for several days in a row, but the willow tree remained serene, with only its lush green branches swaying and shimmering with verdant light, exuding a powerful Life.
On the ninth day, the poor couple wept bitterly, their hopes shattered.
The baby in their arms was sobbing, in poor health, and had suffered severe degeneration; although it was already a year old, it looked only a few months old.
"My poor Hao'er..." Shi Ziling's tears rolled down his cheeks, feeling utterly hopeless. The Sacrificial Spirit were ineffective; his only child might truly perish, and in such a tragic way as fratricide.
He has let the child down!
"Ah!"
He rushed out of Stone Village, unable to hold back any longer. Like a wounded beast, he roared in anguish, tears streaming down his face, his hair flying wildly. With each step he took, a huge ripple would split open in the ground, and all living things around him would leap up, the sky filled with the cries of birds.
" Hao'er, don't cry, Mother is here, she will definitely save you..."
"Great Sacrificial Spirit, I am willing to give everything... just to save my poor child..."
Qin Yining was heartbroken, her face covered in tears, but she hadn't given up. She kissed her child tenderly and remained kneeling before the willow tree, hoping for divine mercy.
For three whole months, the woman knelt there, a sight that moved everyone in Stone Village to sigh with pity for the couple.
In fact, several powerful figures in this village had been keeping a close watch on the critically ill Shi Hao.
The Five-Colored Sparrow flew around, it was the most curious. At first, it followed the Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit, the two had a great karmic connection in the Immortal Ancient, and both suffered calamities in this Lifetime, so they settled in Stone Village to keep each other company.
The Willow Deity dwells at the village entrance, while the Five-Colored Sparrow alights at the village's end.
By chance, the sparrow discovered Su Yu in the willow tree and flew into a rage, ready to attack. It had never even entered that pure land, clinging to it because it had been longing for it since its previous Lifetime in the Immortal Ancient. It never expected that it would be usurped by another being.
This is a classic case of someone usurping another's place!
However, the Five-Colored Sparrow quickly submitted, showing great respect for Su Yu and daring not to provoke him.
Both it and Willow Deity were in the Nirvana stage, but this one had already transcended the mortal realm and become a saint; the two were simply not on the same level.
In the fourth month, the Five-Colored Sparrow, looking at the emaciated Qin Yining, hopped around with its claws, finally unable to resist, and sent out its divine thoughts again. " Qingshui, since you are interested in this child, why don't you save him? His mother has been kneeling until now..."
Qingshui —this is a name known to the Five-Colored Sparrow and the Willow Deity for a very long time.
The name itself carries a great deal of meaning.
"Taking a drop of your heart's blood should be enough to save her." Unexpectedly, Su Yu spoke this time, but his attitude was very calm. The ripples in the outside world had nothing to do with this Pure Land of Inner Willow.
The Five-Colored Sparrow bristled and flew away in fear, not wanting to stay for even a moment longer.
It was genuinely afraid; this person was a man of his word, and might seize it at any moment to forcibly extract its blood.
It took so many years to recover to this point, and now that I've lost my lifeblood, I might be back to where I was fifty years ago overnight. I don't want to go through that again.
"Why are you scaring it? Its soul was severely damaged in the battle of the Immortal Ancient..." The willow branches swayed, carrying the divine thoughts of the Willow Deity. Its aura was much stronger than before. In the past few months, it had refined the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, giving it a preliminary ability to protect itself.
Su Yu shook his head and remained silent.
Although Shi Hao before us is pitiful, he is blessed by Heavenly Mandate and destined to be extraordinary; he will not perish here.
In addition, he has been cultivating in seclusion within the Willow Deity's body for the past fifty years, transforming himself into a divine cocoon. He is currently at a critical moment and unable to go out, much like a being that has Divine Source. He can only extend a wisp of divine thought to make a move near Stone Village.
In fact, he had already reached the peak of the Void Dao, but he was still missing a wedge to break the deadlock. As for that key item, it had already arrived...
That Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow was deeply entrenched in its ravines; it had flown high and cautiously on its previous occasions.
He entered his hunting grounds one last time, which led to his death.
In this situation, even if Su Yu wanted to intervene, it would be difficult, unless... he did something he couldn't bear to do...
Another month passed, and the poor mother leaned against the courtyard wall and wept day and night, unable to eat or drink for a hundred days.
The Little One in her arms was also deteriorating, and in the final moments, even his breathing became intermittent, and he was on the verge of death.
Suddenly, the willow tree burst into brilliant light, and a dazzling rain of light fell, opening a passage that led the baby and the woman into a void.
"The pilgrims, devout and sincere, kneel day and night, weeping, all for an audience with me... Now that the one hundred and fifty days have passed, tell me, what do you desire? And what can you offer..."
A faint voice echoed in the void, divine radiance shone forth, like a giant Taiyang rising, supremely powerful and holy. Su Yu sat atop the nine layers of immortal clouds, causing this small Void Realm to radiate a terrifying glow.
Qin Yining felt a chill run down her spine, realizing how incredibly small she was. The being above her seemed like a god, awe-inspiring and suffocating her.
This is even stronger than the family elders of Undying Mountain; it is definitely a god, or even a being above the Divine Fire Realm!
She instinctively kowtowed, her body bent, extremely humble, yet overwhelmed with emotion, and she couldn't help but want to shed tears...
Chapter 771 Daughter of Cause and Effect, Breaking the Seal
"Gods... I beg you to save my Hao'er..."
Qin Yining's voice was hoarse as she held her child and kowtowed devoutly, tears streaming down her pretty face, making her appear even more fragile.
This was not how she used to be. In fact, as the Holy Maiden of the Qin Clan of Immortal Mountain, she was intelligent and cunning, and loved to laugh. After the upheaval at the Martial King Manor, she shed more tears than ever before...
"I'm willing to pay any price, even my life, to save my child!"
After bowing deeply, Qin Yining looked up at the sky with tears in her eyes, hoping for divine blessing, which was her only hope.
A misty, ethereal atmosphere filled the air, with only endless bone patterns intertwining within. Suddenly, a voice rang out, ancient, vast, and ethereal, as if it did not belong to this realm.
"The consequences here are heavy; can you bear them?" Su Yu asked, his attitude very solemn, because the person kneeling before him was of extraordinary status, and even he had to treat him with respect.
It was as if a celestial being was asking a question, high above yet questioning the mortal realm. The sound of the Dao resonated, like the tolling of a great bell, reaching Qin Yining's ears, causing her delicate body to tremble and her limbs to throb. This fluctuation was too terrifying to believe; it was definitely from a peerless powerhouse who surpassed even Divine Flame and Heavenly God.
This powerful person can definitely save Hao'er!
As for cause and effect, that was completely outside the mother's consideration.
Now, what other options are there? There's absolutely nothing that can be done. Even the King of the Stone Kingdom are powerless, unless they can find a sacred herb, but even the gods struggle to find such a thing—it's incredibly difficult...
"Please save Hao'er! I'm willing to pay any price!" Qin Yining cried, her emotions overwhelmed by the emotions of an ordinary mother, tears blurring her vision.
The master of this place remained silent, and Chaos energy flowed around him, emitting faint, deep crimson patterns, as vivid as the feathers of Fallen Blood Phoenix.
A few breaths later, a being emerged from the mist, vaguely standing between heaven and earth. A broken halberd hung above its head, emanating immortal Immortal Qi. The pressure it exuded was extraordinary and beyond the comprehension of the barren Lower Realm, and even rare in the Immortal Mountain.
Su Yu remained motionless, gazing at Qin Yining as if across eternity. His dark eyes were incredibly deep, conveying an indescribable mystery and information.
The woman trembled, as if she had fallen into an endless abyss. Before a Innate Divine Being, everything about her was laid bare: her past experiences, being framed and betrayed by her own kind, her innate abilities destroyed... her escape to the Desolate Region, and her settlement in the Stone Kingdom...
"Please guide me, God. Do not hesitate... I will do my utmost to cooperate!" Qin Yining said, her face pale, barely suppressing her fear.
Every second counts as a dangerous situation.
For Hao'er's sake, she now possessed immense courage, daring to proactively ask a powerful stranger for advice, having already disregarded the possibility of death.
"The promise of cause and effect connects many things; you still have a chance to regret it now..."
Amidst the Chaos mist, Su Yu's hair shimmered with an ethereal light. He sighed softly, a strange expression on his face, as if he too was hesitating and wavering, unable to make a decision to place his piece.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
The heavy kowtow sounded, Qin Yining seemed to have a final burst of energy before death. Her eyes were firm, with a kind of decisiveness and resolve. With the force of the kowtow, bloodstains appeared on her fair and delicate forehead, making it look dirty and Perfect World.
Seeing the woman's resolute attitude, Su Yu shook his head and pointed a finger. In an instant, threads of cause and effect scattered and disappeared into the heavens and the earth. Runes in the universe flickered and all pulsated, as if witnessing a contract, causing the small Void to tremble slightly.
"The ancient wedge is complete..." he said softly, his previous hesitation vanishing, leaving only a vast, calm sea, before he began to state his requirements.
"I need a woman with immense karmic power to break through my own limitations and attain enlightenment..."
Crimson, blood-red smoke seeped in, and the blurry creatures began to materialize, appearing in reality before the people of this world. It was a man with an otherworldly air, silver hair and black eyes, with Chaos flames dancing around him, exuding an aura of Xian Dao.
The next moment, Qin Yining exclaimed in surprise, her cherry lips parted, her pupils shrank to a point, and the immortal in front of her had changed his appearance. He was now trapped here, his body wrapped in scarlet shackles, as if they were the will of the heavens, imprisoning him and preventing him from moving.
The shackles gleamed with a ghastly reddish luster. They were made of some unknown metal and were very deep, with various mysterious Bone Text flowing through them. After just one glance, Qin Yining felt a sharp pain, as if she were being pricked by needles, and she wanted to get away from this place.
"Bound by the karmic calamity, only a being with the potential for change can break these chains..." Su Yu's expression remained calm as he spoke of the part of the ancient saga he bore, "You are bound by the karma of the world, which is of great use to me."
Qin Yining listened intently, her heart filled with anxiety. Forgetting to delve into the secrets of the deity, she quickly asked, "Please, divine Yanming, tell me what you require of me? I will do my utmost, even if it means my death, to accomplish it."
"Body and soul merge, and the shackles are instantly broken," Su Yu said.
"What?!" Qin Yining's face turned pale, her brows furrowed, her beautiful face seemed to freeze, her chest heaved violently, her previously clenched fists trembled, and she was completely stunned. She naturally understood what the other party meant; the so-called union of body and soul must refer to sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.
Her face was pale; this method wasn't particularly strict, even surprisingly simple.
But she comes from a prestigious family in the Immortal Mountain, and as a married woman, how could she have an affair with another man? How could this so-called cause and effect be so?
Time passed slowly. Qin Yining, being no ordinary person, took a deep breath and calmed herself. She said, "Senior, I am already a withered flower, and dare not defile the sacred. May I find a pure and innocent maiden to replace me? To serve Your Majesty, whether in the Stone Kingdom or my mother's clan, many young women would surely be willing to go."
Her attitude was humble, and her response was quick, but this answer failed to address the core issue.
Su Yu shook his head and said calmly, "The power of cause and effect is with you. Even Qin Changsheng's own daughter cannot defeat you, Immortal Mountain clan."
"Senior... where exactly does the power of cause and effect you speak of come from?" Qin Yining asked in a trembling voice.
This time, she was truly terrified. The other party had actually revealed the true name of the Qin Clan's ancestor. That great man was renowned in the Upper Realm, the founder of the Qin Clan, and held an extremely revered position. But in the mouth of this deity, the Qin Clan seemed insignificant compared to the Immortal Mountain.
Su Yu's eyes narrowed, and he remained silent. This time, he did indeed have ulterior motives.