Shi Village naturally prepared a grand banquet, commencing at sunset, right beside the lake that shimmered like a sacred blue gem. Campfires danced, releasing the fragrant aroma of various delicacies. The villagers all wore bright smiles and lavished warm hospitality upon the distant guests. A group of children ran about, startling unicorns, four-colored cranes, and other creatures from the lush green meadow. The atmosphere was lively and joyful, with golden roasted meats and intoxicating wines wafting their aromas afar. Cups were raised and laughter echoed—it was a festive occasion.
Before long, people noticed Shi Hao’s odd behavior. He seemed distracted, murmuring something under his breath, nearly sticking fragrant meat to his nose. “What’s he thinking about? Could it be wedding nerves? He’s about to leave his youth behind and grow up just like us, yet he still clings to the past?” Pi Hou said teasingly, making exaggerated faces. Despite being a father himself, he still acted no more mature than before.
“I think the same,” Er Meng chuckled sincerely. “He’s clearly struggling with indecision. Though a formal wedding hasn’t taken place, he might as well already be married.”
Shi Hao was muttering to himself, and only Qing Feng, sitting nearest, caught his words. He seemed to be speaking of Liu Shen, murmuring about a figure unparalleled through time, gazing down upon the world. Shi Hao himself seemed lost in a daze.
“Big Brother, are you alright?” Qing Feng asked softly. A clear-eyed and refined youth, Qing Feng was the top prodigy among the younger generation of Shi Village, second only to Shi Hao. As a child, he had suffered greatly, enduring hardships at the second ancestral land of the Shi clan. After being rescued, he cherished life deeply and worked relentlessly to improve himself. He had now earned a distinguished reputation across the Great Wastelands.
“You lack perception, Qing Feng. Quickly move aside so Xiao Hao can sit with Yunxi and Huo Ling’er,” Da Zhuang interjected.
“Oh!” Qing Feng stood immediately, offering his place to Shi Hao, Yunxi, and Huo Ling’er—no longer an “obstruction.”
“Look at that brat’s dazed state. He’s completely gone off into a world of his own,” Shi Lin Hu gestured subtly, directing everyone’s attention.
Delicious delicacies, wrapped in fragrant lotus leaves, were presented on the grassy ground, making everyone’s appetite surge. Nine-headed lions and others praised Shi Village’s cuisine as nothing short of heavenly.
Just then, Shi Hao’s clumsy action set everyone into an uproarious laughter. While murmuring absentmindedly, he had reached out and taken a glowing fruit from Huo Ling’er’s silver plate without realizing it, popping it into his mouth.
“You…” Huo Ling’er blushed furiously. How dare he be so audacious? She had eaten some barbecued meat and found it greasy, so she bit into a crimson berry, only eating half before placing it back—but he had stolen it right away.
“Haha, Xiao Hao must be enjoying sweet, lingering flavors—especially after a younger sister has taken a bite!” Hu Zi, Pi Hou, and others teased.
Snapping back to reality, Shi Hao looked at everyone with confusion, especially at Huo Ling’er’s glaring eyes. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you sulking?” he asked, puzzled.
At this, everyone laughed even harder. Who was actually daydreaming here?
“Xiao Hao, was it tasty?” a younger boy named Bi Ti burst out with glee.
“Tasty. Very sweet,” Shi Hao nodded.
“Hahahaha!” The laughter continued.
Huo Ling’er blushed furiously—the fruit had even bore her tooth marks, and he devoured it in three bites!
“Stop sleepwalking and focus, alright?!” she angrily scolded.
“Hmm, got it,” Shi Hao replied, clearly just humoring them.
He was distracted because the figure he had recently glimpsed was so astonishing. In that fleeting encounter, it had left an indelible impression on him. Liu Shen was beyond ordinary comprehension, possessing a flawless, human form, no longer confined to a tree essence.
Most astonishingly, divine flames flickered around her, each flame containing a godlike illusion, bowing to her in reverence. What kind of might was this? Truly transcendent, shaking past and present alike!
The central image had etched itself into Shi Hao’s heart, and no matter how much time passed, it would never fade. Was Liu Shen a woman? Shi Hao continued mulling over the question. From what he saw, the radiant figure was tall and graceful, leaving him uncertain of the gender. If it were a man, he would certainly be of unparalleled elegance. Yet, the more he pondered, the more the image blurred, nearly vanishing. Only the radiant, ethereal form remained firmly imprinted in his mind.
“What kind of power is this?” Shi Hao murmured, deeply moved. Though he had seen that image clearly, why had its true form faded from his memory? He felt restless—if he had truly seen it, why did the memory slip away? Was it because the image of such an ultimate being could not be allowed to remain in a mortal’s mind?
Such legends had reached Shi Hao’s ears before—that unless one absorbed the collective consciousness of various races, certain forbidden figures would erase their true forms from mortal memory, refusing to be tainted or contained within mundane thoughts.
Startled, Shi Hao turned to his tiny companion. “Little Tower, did you see Liu Shen?”
“I did,” the small white tower replied in its usual curt tone.
“What did she look like?” Shi Hao asked eagerly. “Was it a man or a woman?”
“A question like this will cost you a hundred kinds of heavenly treasures,” the tower replied slowly.
“What?! Are you trying to rob me?!” Shi Hao glared at it, recalling how even when facing a mysterious plate wreathed in chaotic energy, the tower had asked for such a high price.
Unfazed, the tower said, “It’s worth every bit. You don’t understand—should the true form of Liu Shen be revealed, even a mere carving of it could cause chaos throughout the realms. I dare say, if any being from a higher realm learned of her divine form, it would unleash an earth-shattering storm across all worlds.”
Shi Hao’s eyes widened. Though already a renowned young hero who had weathered countless storms, his heart now pounded with unease.
At that moment, a familiar presence emerged beside him, carrying an aroma like sandalwood, yet also an indescribable clarity.
“Liu Shen!” Shi Hao turned. Liu Shen had reappeared nearby, though her form remained indistinct.
The tall figure sat serenely, surrounded by flickering divine flames suspended in midair, each flame resembling a separate divine world, paying homage to her. It was a breathtaking sight—glowing, crystalline lights danced like a thousand realms encircling the radiant figure, making her the sole, eternal focal point of heaven and earth.
Shi Hao understood now. Little Tower had not lied. Such an exalted being—if her true form were revealed, it might truly cause a world-altering upheaval. Her divine manifestation was indeed otherworldly.
Liu Shen had indeed descended from a lower realm and did not belong to the eight great domains of the universe—Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow, Heaven and Earth, Mystery, the Primordial, and the Primeval Chaos.
Shi Hao certainly possessed an ironclad nerve. After his initial shock, he quickly regained his composure and ventured closer to the mysterious halo, whispering, “Sister?”
A peaceful ripple emitted from the halo, seemingly perceivable only to Shi Hao, while no one else noticed anything. The halo merely floated serenely beside him.
“Brother?” Shi Hao tried again, figuring that term might feel more familiar than addressing the figure as an elder.
“You’re so shameless,” the tiny tower muttered disdainfully.
“You’re shameless!” Shi Hao retorted with a straight face.
“Aaaaahh!” A shout of anger startled Shi Hao, pulling him back into reality.
He realized he had once again become the center of attention. Everyone was watching him with amused expressions, only the violet-robed beauty Yunxi glaring at him with murder in her eyes. She was furious. How dare he call her “sister” first? At first, she had even felt a little proud, thinking at last he was revealing his true colors after a few drinks, acting improperly toward her, the divine maiden. But then, after only one “sister,” he turned around and called her “brother”? She could have turned to stone from fury alone. Was he doing it on purpose?
She had barely begun to scold him when he had the nerve to accuse her of being shameless. How utterly insufferable!
Everyone else wanted to laugh but couldn’t dare. Shi Hao’s face stiffened in embarrassment—he had drifted off into a dreamlike state again, lost in distant thoughts, and caused another awkward moment.
The truth was, Liu Shen’s origin and aura had been too shocking, so divine a manifestation could have shaken the entire world!
Fortunately, the warmth of the villagers, who kept passing around drinks, soon lightened the mood, and the awkward incident was quickly forgotten.
Other than wild delicacies from the Great Wastelands, there was also the fiery serpent, Yan Mang, a pure-blooded creature Shi Hao had brought back. Its soup, crystal clear and glistening, granted a feeling of profound comfort with just one sip—such was its divine, nourishing power.
Needless to say, the children of Shi Village howled the entire night—the potent effects of the pure-blooded treasures had gone to their heads. They ran around crazily all night, though the aftermath was positive—it would help them break through cultivation barriers.
At dawn, the group set off again without lingering. Time was too pressing—great calamity could strike at any moment. The beast skin capable of traversing the void pierced the void again. After an untold amount of time, it finally emerged at last—traveling at least millions of li through the boundless space.
Birdsong filled the air, greenery flourished, and fragrant blossoms bloomed in this divine mountain range brimming with spiritual power. Auspicious beasts and rare birds wandered freely. Yunxi led the group forward, the others following closely behind, swiftly crossing the periphery and nearing the true core region where spiritual energy churned and rosy lights veiled the mountains in sacred serenity.
When Shi Hao spotted three rare Ba Zhen chickens leisurely strolling, he wanted nothing more than to rush over and capture them. Entering the sacred land of the Heaven-Man Race revealed endless marvels—precious creatures and divine herbs beyond count, enough to make one’s heart race with desire.
Finally, they began climbing a mountain, which this time differed from his previous visit. Yunxi activated an ancient formation, revealing a magnificent and majestic mountain cloaked in mist and rosy glow. This sacred peak had been hidden by formation magic, invisible to outsiders—it was the most sacred mountain of the Heaven-Man Race.
“Oh! Yunxi Celestial Maiden has returned,” a silver-scaled dragon beast spoke, coiled atop a boulder that weighed hundreds of thousands of catties, guarding the mountain path.
The news quickly spread. Soon, several figures shot down from the sky, landing upon the mountain path. At their head stood a middle-aged man upon an emerald step, gazing downward.
“Haha! Perfect! Yunxi, you’ve finally brought him back! Did you use outside forces to capture him?” the leading figure laughed heartily.
Yunxi blushed, indignant. How could it be capture? She had nearly been carried off by him instead. Just recalling her time in Shi Village made her flush with both shame and fury.
“Fourth Uncle, that’s not how it was. You misunderstood,” Yunxi explained.
Misunderstood? That young thief had already stolen their ancestral artifact and had never returned it! Now that he had finally fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Divine Mountain, how could he escape? The middle-aged man on the emerald steps said coldly, clearly disliking Shi Hao.
“What about that bald foolbird?” someone asked, as Tu Ba’s uniqueness made him hard to ignore.
“Silence, you little whelps! Hurry and fetch your father to come greet Uncle!” Tu Ba arrogantly declared.
The middle-aged man’s expression changed. Who here didn’t know of him, the Fourth Master of the Heavenly Divine Mountain? Who was this bald bird?
Still, he did not act rashly, for upon sensing Tu Ba’s aura, he found it nearly non-existent, causing him to suspect the bird had unfathomable depths.
“Esteemed Senior, may I have your name?” the Fourth Master asked politely.
“Fourth Uncle, this is the old peacock from back then,” Yunxi explained, clearly disapproving of Tu Ba.
“What? That old thief dares return!?” The Fourth Master roared furiously. Many in the Heavenly Divine Mountain knew of the peacock’s notorious past—cheating, swindling, tricking, even stealing, practically an epitome of “mischief incarnate.”
Tu Ba sneered coldly, “Boy, you speak without thinking! Did I not once hold you in my arms? You even defecated on my arm!”
“Aaaaarrgh!” The middle-aged man nearly spat blood, pointing at Tu Ba in disbelief.
Yunxi blinked in shock—had this old thief truly managed such a situation back then?
“Old thief, don’t dare speak recklessly again, or I’ll kill you on the spot!” the Fourth Master seethed.
Tu Ba lifted his head proudly. “Boy, mind your tone. Show some respect! Call your father here to apologize to me, or else I won’t tell you the secrets of that formation. Without me, no one alive can understand it!”
“You old thief, you won’t leave this time!” the Fourth Master roared with rage.
“Boy, you were not there for the past grudges. Don’t open your mouth so recklessly, or your aunt will slap you across the face later!” Tu Ba scoffed.
“What did you say?!” The Fourth Master’s eyes blazed furiously.
“I mean,” Tu Ba glared back, “that your grandfather and father once shattered a love between me and your aunt, forcing me into exile. Today, I’ve come to collect what is owed!”
The Heaven-Man Race members were utterly baffled—what was going on?
Even Yunxi was stunned.
Shi Hao, the nine-headed lion, and others looked on, equally confused.
“Back then, you stole a marriage from me. Now, I want it back. I claim this young girl—marry her to my younger brother!” Tu Ba declared boldly, pointing first at Yunxi, then Shi Hao.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage