Huo Ling’er’s heart trembled, her beautiful eyes misty as she parted her lips, wanting to say something, yet overwhelmed by an indescribable warmth in her chest.
At this moment, she found it hard to remain calm.
It took her a long time to regain her composure. As she gazed at Shi Hao, countless thoughts flooded her mind.
At twenty years old, capable of slaying Heavenly Deities—such talent was rare across the ages. Huo Ling’er knew that this likely shattered records, creating a myth of its own!
She understood that Shi Hao would soar even higher. Time stretched endlessly before him, while she could never reach such heights. Perhaps by the time her hair turned white with age, he would have only traversed a fraction of his life.
For cultivators, the stronger their power, the longer their lifespan. Huo Ling’er felt her strength was too lacking; even if she pushed herself to the limit, she could never keep pace with him.
In truth, she feared that in the end, even catching a distant glimpse of him might only reveal a fading silhouette.
“Just hearing you say such words makes me happy,” Huo Ling’er said softly.
She refused to dwell on it further. Having walked the same path and shared moments together was enough. Gazing at the horizon, at the evening glow, she wanted to speak, yet the words eluded her.
“What are you thinking? Strength or weakness means nothing. With me here, do you need to fight?” Shi Hao said, his tone deliberately light.
“What is your ideal?” Huo Ling’er asked.
“Ideals? That word is too heavy,” Shi Hao chuckled.
“Then let me rephrase—what do you wish to do in the future?” Huo Ling’er pressed.
Shi Hao understood her meaning. Watching the crimson clouds and setting sun in the west, his thoughts soared, leaving him silent for a long moment.
He would march to the Borderlands, setting forth from there to reach the world the Willow God spoke of. He would join the battle there, overturn fate, and change everything.
For now, it was still distant, but one day he would face it—and he had to prepare.
Huo Ling’er realized then that he carried a grand, distant goal, one fraught with immense difficulty. She sighed softly, knowing that if she followed, she would only be a burden.
“If you wish to go, then go,” she whispered.
“Thinking too far ahead is pointless. I must fight in the Borderlands. I want to unravel the mysteries of the ancient past, to understand why the Immortal Ancient Era fell, why the immortals perished, and why true longevity is so rare now,” Shi Hao murmured, more to himself than to her.
None of this could be achieved yet. For now, he had to grow stronger, step by step.
Huo Ling’er’s heart quaked. She hadn’t imagined Shi Hao would walk such a path—one destined to be vast and boundless.
“Alright, the flood dragon meat is ready, and the roc is roasted. Come eat,” Shi Hao called to her.
Earlier, her eyes had been misty with sorrow, but now she couldn’t help but laugh. This guy never changed—still the same as ever.
The “specialty” he brought back from the Immortal Ancient was Heavenly Deity meat. A true glutton.
If word got out that he was feasting on Heavenly Deity flesh, it would shock the world, sending tremors through every faction.
Yet, Huo Ling’er had seen firsthand that with Shi Hao’s transcendent strength, hunting Heavenly Deities for food wasn’t beyond him.
“I have a gift for you!”
After finishing the meal, Shi Hao made this declaration.
Huo Ling’er was seated cross-legged, refining the essence within her. Heavenly Deity meat was a potent supplement, forcing her to circulate her bone texts.
“What gift?” she asked curiously.
Another delicacy? She wondered.
With a flash, radiant light swirled, and misty spiritual energy filled the air as an ancient cauldron appeared. Inside lay shimmering soil—the legendary Earth of All Things.
And within the cauldron grew a small tree, its branches heavy with blossoms and unripe fruit.
“Senior, bestow upon us a fruit!” Shi Hao bowed respectfully toward the void, then extended his hand.
The little tree trembled, its golden leaves glowing with sacred light. From its canopy, a single fruit descended—golden, radiant, and pulsing with divine energy.
Shi Hao caught it and handed it to Huo Ling’er. “Take it.”
“What is this?” she gasped. A divine fruit?
“You guessed right. It’s a divine medicine. Eat it quickly—I’ll guard you,” Shi Hao encouraged with a smile.
Huo Ling’er shook her head. “No, I’m perfectly healthy. It would be wasteful. Keep it for yourself—it could save your life if you’re gravely injured.”
“I don’t need it. Eat it now!” Shi Hao insisted.
Under his relentless urging, she finally took a bite. The fruit melted instantly, its fragrance overwhelming, and a surge of heat flooded her body.
In the next moment, countless runes erupted, merging with her blood and bones, refining her flesh and spirit. Golden light engulfed her entirely.
“What is this? I feel reborn—my cultivation is skyrocketing, my mana expanding!” Huo Ling’er cried out, bewildered by the transformation.
“What is this?” she demanded, her voice trembling.
“Heavenly Deity Fruit. It will help you catch up to me—maybe even surpass me,” Shi Hao said with a grin.
“This… truly exists?” Her voice quivered with awe.
This fruit was beyond priceless. It could elevate a mortal to Heavenly Deity status in an instant.
Over the next day and night, Huo Ling’er underwent a profound metamorphosis. Her Vermilion Bird bloodline awakened further, her body flawless and radiant.
Flames wreathed her, refining both flesh and spirit.
This was the power of the Heavenly Deity Fruit—instant, miraculous results.
“Am I really…?” She trembled with excitement, feeling her strength multiply beyond measure.
In this world, the Heavenly Deity Tree was considered more valuable than any other divine herb, for it could elevate an entire sect overnight.
One fruit could birth a Heavenly Deity. Accumulate enough, and no force could rival them.
“Ah! Have I truly become a Heavenly Deity?” Huo Ling’er emerged from seclusion, brimming with joy and gratitude. Shi Hao had given her this priceless treasure, elevating her to divinity.
She rose, carefully testing her newfound power. There was no doubt—she had ascended, standing above her peers.
All thanks to the youth before her.
“Now you don’t have to worry about your cultivation, do you?” Shi Hao teased.
Huo Ling’er was overwhelmed. Becoming a Heavenly Deity overnight was beyond imagination.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Even knowing Shi Hao would soon surpass her again, she couldn’t suppress her joy.
“Let’s go. Time to leave,” Shi Hao said, ready to take her away.
“Where to?” she asked, her earlier melancholy dispelled by her ascension. Now, she was lively and spirited once more.
Yet beneath the surface, she knew her time with him would be fleeting compared to his long, illustrious life.
But walking together, even for a while, was enough.
“The ends of the earth, the corners of the world!” Shi Hao declared.
With that, they soared into the skies, embarking on a journey across the vast and magnificent lands.
While Shi Hao and Huo Ling’er traveled together, the outside world was in turmoil.
News from the Immortal Ancient ruins had spread far and wide. Some talents rose to fame, while others faded into obscurity.
But another event rivaled the chaos of the Immortal Ancient—the outsiders from beyond the realms had not left. They waited, eager to test the so-called geniuses emerging from the ruins.
“These so-called kings and prodigies from the Immortal Ancient are nothing special. Pathetic!” sneered Lin Tian, a young outsider who had been roaming the land, challenging the strongest returnees—only to find them lacking.
“The Three Thousand Dao Provinces have truly declined,” others among the outsiders echoed.
Indeed, in recent days, none of the returning talents could match them. The gap was staggering.
“The Three Thousand Provinces are finished. Their legacy is broken, their once-great bloodlines reduced to weakness,” came the scornful remarks, bordering on outright disdain.
The young Heavenly Deities from beyond, crowned by immortal qi manifesting as Dao Flowers, swept through the upper realm unchallenged.
“Where are the so-called Banished Immortal and the Wild? Let them come forth and fight!” they taunted, even aware of these names.
But the Banished Immortal was nowhere to be found, and the Wild had vanished as well. No one stepped forward to answer the challenge.
“Hahaha!” The outsiders laughed. If the Three Thousand Provinces lacked true geniuses, they saw no reason to linger.
Now, many thought of the Wild, hoping he would appear and crush these arrogant interlopers.
But was he here? Would he come?
For the first time, people missed his presence, certain he could put these bullies in their place.
The outsiders had humiliated the cultivators of the Three Thousand Provinces, leaving them powerless.
“If this is all you have, forget about entering the Heavenly Deity Academy. You’re not worthy,” the outsiders sneered.
“The so-called geniuses of the Three Thousand Provinces are all trash!”
Outside, storms raged.
Meanwhile, Shi Hao and Huo Ling’er wandered the land, carefree and content.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“I’m thinking about the despicable Celestial Clan. Coming after me is one thing, but they dared to target you as well,” Shi Hao said darkly.
Recalling the encounter in the Fire Mulberry Forest, aside from disciples of the Sword Valley and Fire Cloud Cave, there had been Celestial Clan cultivators among them.
And it was the Celestial Clan who had discovered the location first, leaking the information.
“What will you do?” Huo Ling’er knew he wouldn’t let it slide.
“To Celestial Province. I once said I’d return—now I’m here to settle the score,” Shi Hao declared.
Soon, they arrived in Celestial Province via a grand teleportation array.
“Isn’t this too risky?” Huo Ling’er asked.
“Don’t worry. Their totem is on the brink of death. It escaped last time, but it’s no threat now,” Shi Hao assured her.
Standing before a range of dragon-like mountains, Shi Hao gazed ahead and declared, “Celestial Clan, I’ve returned!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage