Yun Xi had spent these years in serene tranquility, giving off an ethereal aura as if she were a celestial maiden who had descended to the mortal world. She moved softly and peacefully, gathering herbs in the mountains with a calm demeanor.
But today, her jade-like, beautiful cheeks flushed slightly, her composure shaken by the sudden news.
Qin Yining had arrived, asking her to marry Shi Hao!
Though she had sensed it coming, so many years had passed, and only now had she received such a definitive message. It left her momentarily stunned.
Her heart fluttered with unease. Even though she had prepared herself, it still felt “sudden.”
Should she agree? She had originally intended to follow him to the lower realm to care for the crippled “Huang,” unwilling to abandon him, seeking to make amends.
But who could have imagined that Shi Hao’s cultivation had never truly been lost? He had endured, and to this day, he remained healthy!
He was like an unkillable cockroach—such a calamity, the Soul-Severing Curse, capable of crippling even a True Immortal, yet he had resisted it. It was unbelievable.
She had never been able to personally care for him. Once, she had even considered leaving, but Qin Yining stopped her with one reason: Shi Hao had not truly escaped the Soul-Severing Curse. At any moment, he could still be crippled.
Now, Qin Yining had taken it a step further—asking her to marry him.
No matter what, a Dao Companion held extraordinary significance for a female cultivator. She couldn’t calm herself, even feeling an urge to flee.
Qin Yining kept her from leaving.
Perhaps women understood women best. They spoke softly, exchanging words.
Yun Xi looked back, recalling the past—every little moment. From their initial wrestling and ear-biting to becoming friends and confidants.
Later, they had even walked side by side through life and death. Shi Hao had protected her, crossing the Bloody Plains to escort her back to the Celestial Clan. Those memories were precious to her, impossible to forget.
Yet, the past with the Celestial Clan was like a sword that had severed many beautiful scenes.
When she learned that Shi Hao had been crippled, afflicted by the Soul-Severing Curse, she hadn’t hesitated. She insisted on following him, wanting to mend those severed moments.
The past was gone, but now, looking back, she asked her heart and knew—she didn’t dislike Shi Hao. Being with him had once been filled with laughter.
She knew she liked him.
But things had happened back then. Now, was she truly to become his Dao Companion?
Yun Xi knew that Shi Hao had soared through the lower realm, ascended the Nine Heavens, and fought at the Borderlands. He surely had more than one confidante. Could she truly let go?
This “letting go” referred not only to what she would face in the future but also to Shi Hao himself as her Dao Companion.
Because—what if those women reappeared? How would she choose? Could she truly be at peace? And as for Shi Hao, had he truly forgotten his other confidantes? At the very least, she knew of one—Huo Ling’er. Though her fate was unknown, she had left a deep mark in Shi Hao’s heart.
Yun Xi’s emotions were complex—conflicted, yet also joyful.
In the end, she agreed.
Qin Yining smiled at once.
In the distance, the Crimson Dragon, wreathed in fiery red mist, swayed its head and tail, shouting loudly: “Under heaven and earth, this old lady reigns supreme!”
It was clearly mocking its cheap master, deliberately provoking Shi Hao.
Because it knew—this marriage had begun at Qin Yining’s urging.
Though Shi Hao’s cultivation was profound, he couldn’t tolerate this dragon. In truth, he didn’t want to. With a kick, the True Dragon… flew away again!
“I, the Crimson Dragon, will be back!” Its miserable cry echoed from the horizon.
The entire Stone Village buzzed with excitement, adorned with lanterns and decorations, brimming with joy. The children who had once come from the Borderlands had now grown up.
Stone Village was no longer what it once was—its strength was formidable, its foundation astonishing!
The descendants of Stone Village were naturally gifted, but those from the Borderlands were even more exceptional. They were the heirs of the Seven Kings of the Borderlands, and now, some had become extraordinary experts.
In terms of overall strength, Stone Village could sweep through the lower realm!
A mere village, hidden in the wilderness, yet capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.
“Brother, you’re finally getting married.” Qing Feng arrived, smiling with genuine happiness. As the Human Emperor of the Stone Kingdom, he now had many descendants.
The Golden Ape scratched its head, while its old rival, the little red bird—a descendant of the Vermilion Bird—had also come from the ancestral lands of the Fire Nation.
The Golden Lion’s expression was complicated. Having followed “Huang” to the lower realm for years, it had witnessed his meteoric rise. Now, he had reached the pinnacle of the Void-Shattering Realm.
What it couldn’t stand was that Shi Hao wasn’t satisfied—he wanted to break myths, to charge into the Sovereign Realm. Five hundred years was the forbidden line to becoming a Sovereign. Did he intend to shatter it?
If he became a Sovereign in less than a hundred years… the thought alone was terrifying!
“Hey, a Sovereign in mere decades? Is it really possible? Seems I’d better train harder, master the Great Overlord Divine Fist sooner!” Three-Hei peeked around with a lecherous grin.
“You mean the Great Turtle Divine Fist?” The big red bird scoffed arrogantly, spreading its wings like a phoenix and shoving the big black turtle aside.
The Nine-Headed Lion, Princess Qianqian, and others arrived, along with a group from the Sky-Splitting Sect—Xia Youyu, “Horned” Xiao Tian, and more.
By now, Stone Village no longer feared revealing its location. Who in the lower realm could challenge them? With the children grown, their combat power had skyrocketed!
Even without Shi Hao and the others, the grown children alone could pacify the world!
“Letting go of everything, freeing the heart of attachments—is that the path to becoming a Sovereign?” Shi Hao asked himself.
Time did not wait for him. He had little left. If he didn’t rise soon, all would be for naught!
Thus, Shi Hao was anxious, restless, seeking any means to break through on this path.
But would scattering his attachments truly make him a Sovereign?
Could he really let go of everything?
Shi Hao calmed his mind, forgetting secret arts and grand techniques, becoming like an ordinary man, gradually settling his emotions.
Soon, his heart grew tranquil. He pondered—the master of the Forbidden Lands had pointed out his flaw: his attachments were too deep, leading him toward demonic deviation. Did he truly have to sever them?
He was trying now, striving to let go of everything—restraints, emotions, even changing himself.
He felt he was scattering his attachments, forgetting secret arts and techniques. The figures of the women he had once known seemed to blur.
Yet, deep in his heart, there was unmistakable bitterness.
“That was Qing Yi…”
A momentary lapse, and a figure emerged from the depths of his heart. How could he forget?
Swiftly, he ruthlessly dispersed it. He wanted to forget, to become a Sovereign. Time was short—he had to soar, not waste his years.
If he had a thousand years, ten thousand years, he wouldn’t choose this path.
Scatter the attachments!
Shi Hao did so.
Yet the process was complex, dangerous.
He forgot, severed many attachments, but deep within, his heart ached faintly.
Shi Hao understood—some things were truly hard to sever.
Sure enough, the figure of that woman from the Fire Clan soon surfaced again.
One thought arose, one scattered, another appeared.
Breaking old attachments only buried deeper ones. In the end, the falling fire mulberry blossoms, the rain of petals, the figure silently waiting beneath the tree—it all became an inescapable obsession.
“Extinguish!”
Shi Hao uttered a soft command, erasing all attachments. He resolutely took that step forward.
Yet, in the final moment before doing so, he had already sworn—if he failed, if he couldn’t take that step, he would do the opposite!
The opposite path meant: if attachments couldn’t be erased, then he wouldn’t erase them. He would use them to cut through all obstacles!
That path was to wield his attachments, to destroy all barriers, to become a Sovereign through sheer will!
One thought to sever ten thousand Daos!
That was his final choice.
Now, it seemed he had taken the earlier step—scattering all attachments, his gaze peaceful as he looked upon the festive Stone Village, walking toward the maiden who awaited him.
That day, Shi Hao married. Many guests arrived, filling the village with joy. Cups clinked, and the clan leader, Shi Yunfeng, grinned from ear to ear. The children laughed, competing to offer toasts.
Guests came from afar—even great demons, sea deities, and more.
“It’s… that bird!” The Golden Lion roared in fury, spotting the creature that had once left droppings on its nose—a palm-sized, five-colored sparrow.
The strange little bird held a pristine white cauldron in its beak, dropped it in Stone Village, then flitted away again!
Many didn’t understand why the Golden Lion was angry.
Only Stone Village knew just how miraculous that bird was, exclaiming in awe.
Shi Hao, however, stared at the small cauldron on the ground. He remembered clearly—back when the Seven Gods descended, he had taken a bronze cauldron from the village to battle. It had cracked, revealing a white cauldron inside…
That white cauldron had vanished into the void.
Who would have thought the five-colored sparrow would bring it back today?
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage