Chapter 608: Joy

“Child!” Shi Yun Feng trembled as he stepped forward, caressing Shi Hao’s face. It felt like a dream, a relief that everything was still here upon waking.

To him, as long as Shi Hao lived, nothing else mattered.

“Grandpa Chief!” Shi Hao called softly, somewhat sorrowfully smiling through his tears. During the days he was thought to be “dead,” the old man had visibly aged.

“Living is what matters. Never leave us again,” Shi Yun Feng said with a trembling voice, gazing at Shi Hao. From the depths of grief to the heights of joy, his heart surged.

Shi Hao leaned on the old man, wiping away his teary eyes. “Grandpa Chief, don’t be sad. How could I ever leave? I’m always right here!”

Undoubtedly, the entire day in Shi Village was filled with happiness. Everyone was elated, and the village was full of celebration and joy.

“Living is indeed a blessing. I’ve missed every one of you,” Shi Hao returned to the village, saying joyfully.

He was overwhelmed by the crowd as one by one hands reached for him, touching him in disbelief. It was a miracle that he had returned alive after more than a year.

“Heaven has opened its eyes, and Xiao Hao has been resurrected! At last, divine intervention has graced us!”

“Hahaha… Our Shi Village children are tough, even heaven can’t take them away!”

Joyous voices echoed, people overwhelmed unable to utter coherent words. The village was unusually lively, everyone gathered. Children ran about as if it were the New Year, accompanied by their reared lightning pups, crimson-feathered cranes, and other ancient species, creating uproarious scenes.

Qing Feng stepped forward, moved to tears, unable to control his weeping.

“Come on, let’s drink. We won’t stop until we’ve been intoxicated for three days and three nights!” Da Zhuang, Hu Zi, and others said with red eyes, wiping their tears, then leading the crowd to accompany Shi Hao.

The village thrummed with activity, with smoke rising from every household chimney. Various delicacies were being prepared, pots of water already boiling, exuding the aroma of sumptuous meats far and wide.

Over the fire pits, golden-brown game was brushed with honey, sparkling with other seasonings, enticing and mouthwatering.

Various berries placed on silver platters were continuously carried in. Some glistened red and translucent, others golden and dazzling, exuding intense fruit fragrance that drew in people.

The children ran, jumped, and shouted, unrestrained and full of joy.

It had been a long time since the village last witnessed such a jubilant scene after Shi Hao’s passing, and the adults were equally delighted, letting the children have their way.

“Come on, have a big bowl first, celebrating Xiao Hao’s resurrection!” Shi Lin Hu laughed heartily.

They sat cross-legged on the grass by the lakeside, surrounded by various meats, wild fruits, and delicacies. From the elders to the middle-aged, then to Da Zhuang, Qing Feng, and the younger generation like Xiao Rascal, all generations gathered together.

Whoosh! Golden light shone, as a calf-sized lightning pup ran by, creating a gust of wind with crackling electric sparks, chasing the child Er Meng.

“What a beast! These golden fierce dogs are becoming more and more powerful,” the adults remarked.

“Whoosh!” Overhead, a violet-gold eagle soared by, carrying several children, the wind whistling through, equally impressive.

Everyone smiled, delighted. They remembered how Shi Hao had once led a group of kids into the wilderness and brought back these young ancient species, which had since grown.

Shi Village was becoming ever stronger, everything joyous, especially the children. With the ancient herbs and formulas, they were placed in cauldrons since youth for “steaming” and showed enhanced progress in their training.

“Just being able to sit and raise a cup together, sharing wine, makes me so happy,” Er Meng slurred, already having downed two large jugs of wine in a short time.

“Hahaha… Having mourned for over a year, today the dark clouds have lifted. We must get thoroughly drunk!” The snot-nosed kid shouted, pouring more drinks for everyone.

Everyone sat together around the fire, roasting various game meats above it, the dripping fats hissing on the flames. All were joyous, continuously raising their cups, faces flushed with wine.

“Kid, are you still longing for beast milk? Should I have someone prepare a whole pot for you?” Pi Hou’s drunken father teased.

“Hahaha…” The crowd laughed.

“Don’t be shy. If you really want some, go ahead and have one brewed right now!” Shi Lin Hu and others chimed in, acting less like elders.

Even with his thick skin, Shi Hao felt awkward, showing a sheepish grin. There were still a bunch of little ones watching nearby, all giggling.

“Uncle Xiao Hao, is beast milk really that good? I think it’s pretty average.”

“Uncle Xiao Hao, does drinking fierce beast milk every day really increase strength? I drink it too every day, yet I haven’t noticed much effect.”

The little rascals laughed unusually, barely containing their howls, teasing him.

An elder rescued him from the banter, laughing and scolding: “You cheeky little brats, scram!”

“I’ll tell you a secret. If you hold beast milk in your mouth while practicing martial arts, it can double your results. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and try it yourself.。” Shi Hao said mysteriously.

“Really?” To his surprise, some toddlers actually believed him and excitedly ran off, only to come back shortly thereafter.

“Cheater!”

“Big Kid Uncle, you lied! You made me choke on the beast milk!”

A bunch of toddlers who had just learned to walk protested indignantly.

“Hahaha…” The people roared with laughter.

This was destined to be a lively evening, with everyone relaxed and joyful. Even the aunts and grandmothers had a little wine, verging on tipsy.

Sitting here, Shi Hao had endless words to share with his villagers. He recounted his experiences within the earthen tomb and spoke of his various observations during his past wanderings.

Of course, the main topic of conversation was Shi Hao’s sleeping period over the past year and the events occurring beyond their village.

Shi Hao learned of his parents’ whereabouts, understood the great debt of gratitude owed to the Five-Colored Sparrow, and was informed about the many changes in Shi Country. He felt a mixture of joy and sadness.

“Mao Qiu, Xiao Hong, thank you!” Shi Hao said, raising a toast to them.

The two beings widened their eyes, as the names bestowed on them were quite degrading. However, on this joyous occasion, they chose not to dwell on it.

“Whoosh!”

The wind howled as the Azure-Scaled Eagle Aunt swooped down with her three children, creating gusts of wind as she landed by the lake. These were the village’s mightiest fierce birds destined to become sacred spirits.

“Shi Hao, it’s so great you are alive!” They cried excitedly, rushing over, rubbing their wings against him with immense affection.

Shi Hao was equally delighted, meeting them again as if from another life. Being alive was better than anything. He then asked, “Where is the big red bird?”

“She is searching for the Supreme Divine Vault deep in the wilderness.”

Over the past year, the Azure-Scaled Eagle Aunt and the big red bird had been at the forefront, searching deep within the wilderness for the Divine Vault. Stone and the Royal Butterfly had followed.

Their purpose was to seek divine treasures, looking for the herb ‘Soul Returning Grass’ and other such items in hopes of reviving Shi Hao.

Upon hearing their explanations, Shi Hao felt both moved and joyful. He grabbed a big wine jar, passed it around, and clinked with them in celebration.

“What about me? What about me? I was searching for the Supreme Divine Vault too,” cried out Xiao Bai the Unicorn, drank the whole jar at once, and then collapsed to the ground foaming at the mouth.

This fierce beast was extraordinary, having sprouted white wings and showing signs of evolving into a Celestial Horse of Ancient times. It was majestic indeed, but its drinking habits and tolerance left much to be desired.

Everyone laughed heartily and watched as the children carried him away.

Everyone was somewhat tipsy but still engaged in toasts and endless chatter. Shi Hao held an exquisite jade jar, gently shaking it. Inside were traces of blood surrounding a complex green glyph, and he carefully examined it.

“Don’t study it just now, think about it later. Keep drinking!” Da Zhuang said.

“That reminds me, son, are you really healed from your injuries?” Shi Lin Hu asked.

“The curse has been removed so it can’t harm me anymore. I still have broken bones and some cracks on my body, but I’ll recover soon,” Shi Hao responded.

He hesitated, wondering whether to recover in the lower realm before mending his broken bones or to wait until reaching the upper realm. Due to the incomplete natural laws in this realm and the imperfection of fate, he would need to break his bones again for re-forging under the upper realm’s superior natural laws.

“Better to recover here first,” Mao Qiu suggested.

“Alright,” Shi Hao nodded.

“Child, will you eventually have to leave?” Everyone opened their eyes wide with reluctance, filled with apprehension.

Separation, death, and farewells were the cruelest ordeals. Shi Hao had returned from beyond the grave; was he to depart again so soon?

“Grandpa Chief, Uncle! I will return, definitely. We will meet again, and someday be reunited!” Shi Hao consoled.

“When we ascend, it will be difficult to return. Will we live to see that day?” Shi Yun Feng, the tribe leader, asked sorrowfully. Just having found his grandson alive, how could he bear to let him go?

“We will surely meet again. Just give me some time—a matter of decades, and I will make my way back. Grandpa Chief, before I leave, I will refine Golden Elixir Dan pills for you. Our Shi Village’s alchemical formula is a treasure. By consuming them, you will break through to higher levels of cultivation, living at least one or two centuries.”

Despite this promise, everyone was still sorrowful, not wanting his departure.

“Refining this Golden Elixir Dan requires over one hundred types of rare herbs, many of which are already nearly extinct. It’s hard to gather them all,” an elder shook his head.

Now the clan understood the value of the elixir formula, but acquiring the needed ingredients seemed an impossible task.

Remember, last time, Shi Hao exhausted Shi Country’s entire stock of herbs to just produce six minor Nirvana Dan pills.

Although the villagers didn’t require such high-grade Dan pills, the required herbs would still be astounding, needing huge quantities.

“No problem. I will gather them all. The immortal sects’ herb gardens definitely won’t lack such herbs,” Shi Hao said, his eyes sparkling with a cold gleam.

“Will you confront them?” The clanspeople asked, alarmed.

“Some people committed grave wrongs and must pay for their deeds! The reason the Seven Deities could successfully descend into this world is due to sacrificial rituals conducted by the venerables of immortal sects. Do they truly think I do not know they were responsible? They have created havoc in this world, causing countless deaths—millions, even hundreds of millions, with blood flowing like rivers and bones piling up like mountains. It’s a horror that shakes the world.

“At the very least, those few venerables must be executed; otherwise, I cannot find peace within myself. I should make a visit to their holy grounds!” Shi Hao added.