Chapter 1744: Preparations

The Lower Realm, relatively speaking, was sparse in spiritual energy, making it impossible for divine herbs to grow.

Of course, the so-called “First Spiritual Root” was an exception. That treasure had been hidden in the Lower Realm by an ancient powerhouse—it was undoubtedly an immortal-grade herb. Unfortunately, it had already been taken away.

Otherwise, Shi Hao would have definitely gone to dig it up this time!

Apart from that, surveying the Eight Domains, there wasn’t a single decent divine herb—only a few saint-grade medicines, which couldn’t advance any further. In the end, it all came down to the environment being unsuitable.

Shi Hao suspected that those saint-grade herbs might actually be divine roots in disguise!

He theorized that if he dug them up and planted them in Stone Village, nurturing them with the Soil of All Things, they might undergo a transformation and reveal their true forms, becoming rare and divine essences.

The village already had a number of spiritual herbs, vibrant in color and exuding rich medicinal fragrances. Living in such an environment year-round would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to their physiques.

In the Lower Realm, a single spiritual herb required an entire spiritual mountain to nourish it before it could mature.

And among vast mountain ranges, finding even one spiritual mountain was already considered fortunate.

The reason Stone Village could sustain so many spiritual herbs was mainly due to the special sand Shi Hao had once brought back from the miniature world within the Hundred Shattered Mountains—a type of spiritual soil soaked in the Fountain of Youth, brimming with boundless vitality!

“This peach tree is quite good—a fine treasure indeed.” Shi Hao observed a silver peach tree in the village, its trunk coiled like a dragon, standing no taller than half a person.

It had also been brought back from the miniature world of the Hundred Shattered Mountains. Originally a saint-grade herb, it had split its roots and degraded into a quasi-saint-grade plant.

“I should make a trip back to the Hundred Shattered Mountains when I get the chance.”

Shi Hao murmured to himself. He always felt that place was shrouded in mystery—a truly unique space. Now that he had returned to the Lower Realm, he intended to uncover its secrets.

Thinking of the Hundred Shattered Mountains, countless memories flooded his mind. It was there that he had first competed against all his peers in the Barren Domain, entering that mysterious space for battle.

It was also there that he had captured the “Two-Bald,” subdued the Crimson Bird, and met Huo Ling’er—not to mention his wild “wrestling” sessions with Yun Xi.

Moreover, it was where he had fought and befriended the Nine-Headed Lion and others, eventually forming sworn brotherhoods. Naturally, he would visit them upon his return.

“Hmm, I must return to the Hundred Shattered Mountains. The more I think about it, the more bizarre that place seems!” The deeper Shi Hao pondered, the more his brows furrowed.

Without a doubt, the mother tree of the silver peach was likely a divine herb, but due to environmental constraints, it couldn’t manifest its true form.

Then, he touched a small, crystalline stone nestled in his hair—the Divine Striking Stone!

This peculiar fellow also originated from the miniature world within the Hundred Shattered Mountains.

“That Fountain of Youth is far from ordinary. Even in such an environment, it manifested as a treasure beyond divine liquid!” Shi Hao mused. Back then, he had only obtained a few drops—the true Fountain of Youth had transformed into a dragon and escaped.

Even the cunning Divine Striking Stone, lurking there for years and scheming for ages, had failed to claim it.

Additionally, there was the Spirit-Enlightening Flower. Looking back, it was more formidable than many divine herbs—capable of awakening consciousness in plants, stones, and other lifeless things.

How utterly heaven-defying was that?

Yet, it had escaped at the time!

“Was it suppressed? That Spirit-Enlightening Flower might have been the most precious thing there!” Shi Hao’s imagination ran wild, itching to rush to the Hundred Shattered Mountains immediately.

Just from these brief reflections, Shi Hao realized the Lower Realm held many places worth exploring—the Hundred Shattered Mountains, the Kun Peng’s Nest, the Divine Demon Wall, the Western Tomb Realm, and more.

Above all, he was particularly eager to meet the woman who folded paper boats. Perhaps this time, he could follow that divine river into another world and witness something earth-shattering.

“Hey, Uncle, you’re spacing out. What are you thinking about?” A little girl pouted, tugging at his arm in dissatisfaction.

“Oh, just reminiscing about the Hundred Shattered Mountains,” Shi Hao replied casually.

Nearby, Yun Xi’s face flushed crimson upon hearing this. Shi Hao noticed and grinned. “Thinking about that place too, huh?”

“Drop dead!” Yun Xi snapped in embarrassment.

The children immediately erupted into teasing cheers.

Shi Hao instantly realized she must be recalling his shameless antics back then—how he couldn’t defeat her in a fight, so he resorted to biting her ear.

“Hahaha…”

Laughter filled Stone Village.

The villagers drank heartily and feasted on large cuts of meat, with the men competing in drinking contests.

Amidst the revelry, Shi Hao directed the children to dig pits and plant the saint-grade and divine herbs while enjoying food and wine.

This sent the village elders into a frenzy. They leaped up, more agile than the youngsters, terrified that the precious roots would be ruined.

“Slow down! These are divine herbs—don’t damage the roots!”

“Brat, don’t touch the leaves or petals, or I’ll tan your hide!”

To the villagers, nothing was more valuable than these herbs—priceless treasures, each worth a kingdom’s wealth!

“Relax, divine herbs aren’t that fragile,” Shi Hao said nonchalantly.

Back in the day, he had munched on them like radishes. Once you’d experienced that, divine herbs lost their mystique.

In truth, these herbs possessed intelligence, having gained sentience eons ago. Sadly, they couldn’t cultivate to grow stronger.

Sure enough, as soon as the children started digging, the herbs sprinted away on their own.

“Ah! They’re running! Catch them!” someone panicked.

At the same time, they were utterly dumbfounded—this was beyond imagination. Plants that could talk and run?

“Don’t worry. They’re just picking their own spots.”

Shi Hao was confident they wouldn’t flee. With the Soil of All Things here, they wouldn’t leave even if driven away—so long as their roots remained unharmed.

The Soil of All Things was something even Burial Kings coveted, let alone immortal herbs. For divine herbs, it was an irresistible boon.

The two Heavenly Deity Trees radiated dazzling light, suffusing the area with misty spiritual energy and radiant halos, transforming the village into a dreamlike paradise.

Shi Hao advised them to tone it down—too much grandeur would make the place stand out unnaturally.

Originally, their towering canopies could have shaded the entire village. Now, they stood no taller than a person, rooted at the village center.

Both the Heavenly Deity Trees and the divine herbs were allotted ample Soil of All Things, ensuring vigorous growth.

“The fruits on these Heavenly Deity Trees are extraordinary, but they’re not ready for harvest yet,” Shi Hao cautioned.

Plucking and consuming a single fruit could instantly elevate one to the Heavenly Deity Realm, with unimaginable power.

However, he had learned that there were four Heavenly Deity Trees in total, forcibly split from a single root. If reunited, they would revert to their original form—the Heaven Immortal Tree, a world-shaking entity!

Then, consuming its fruit would bestow an immortal’s dao fruit.

Even now, combining two Heavenly Deity Trees would yield immensely potent fruits, but Shi Hao felt the time wasn’t right.

This small homestead had been transformed by Shi Hao into a divine land, where spiritual energy condensed into tangible mist, invigorating body and soul.

In such an environment, enhancing one’s physique was inevitable—a gradual strengthening of both body and spirit over time.

Shi Hao observed that the spiritual energy here was of exceptional quality, perhaps even divine aura, surpassing ordinary spiritual essence.

Indeed, such extravagance rivaled even the immortal clans of the Nine Heavens. The only shortcoming was the incomplete Great Dao rules.

But for the villagers’ current cultivation levels, this was more than sufficient.

Moreover, the Willow God’s formations here likely supplemented many divine laws.

Only Shi Hao himself needed to ponder his own path forward.

“I’ll find a way. Perhaps I should push myself to the extreme—casting aside all rules, tempering myself in the harshest environments, cultivating within chaos itself!”

“Why hasn’t Qing Feng returned yet?” an elder asked.

No sooner had he spoken than light flashed at the village altar—a youth returned. This altar connected to the imperial palace of the Stone Kingdom.

But it wasn’t Qing Feng—just a village youth returning after delivering a message.

“There’s a dragon circling the Stone Clan’s palace, challenging Uncle Qing Feng!” he panted.

“Oh? A dragon dares to trouble the Stone Kingdom?” Shi Hao raised an eyebrow.

“Uncle Qing Feng said it might be a true dragon!” the youth gasped.

“Is that so? Perfect timing—I’ll fetch Qing Feng myself.” Shi Hao downed a bowl of wine and stood.

“I crave dragon meat!” the Fearless Lion growled, still fuming from being teased by the children earlier.

Before the villagers could react, Shi Hao and the Golden Lion vanished through the altar.