Chapter 610: Xiao Shi’s Return

Stone Village was a sanctuary of purity.

Shi Hao was selecting his belongings, taking the World Treasure Box with him. Everything else would remain in the village. He sighed deeply in his heart, knowing that his last battle had caused significant losses.

He had chosen self-destruction, and both ancestral artifacts of Stone Village were left in ruins. Two massive holes had appeared on the ancient beast skin, front and back, leaving it translucent. The beast bone had also cracked.

Remember, these were divine artifacts that belonged to ancient deities, yet they had been reduced to such a state in that battle.

In addition, weapons like the Heaven-Sundering Halberd and the Divine Blade were also damaged, prompting sorrowful sighs throughout the village. Yet, remarkably, Ghost Elder’s broken sword remained unharmed.

What pained Shi Hao the most was the destruction of the Indestructible Golden Body Armor. Once worn by him, it had ultimately shattered into dozens of pieces, disintegrating completely.

This was no ordinary treasure—it was a fragment of an ancient treasure capable of making even deities envious. There were many secrets behind such a rare war-armor.

Fortunately, after the armor’s disintegration, a core module remained intact, as flawless as a piece of fine jade, glowing with ancient glyphs.

One could only imagine how indestructible it must have been. Every other magical weapon was destroyed, yet this core remained unscathed.

“I wonder if it can still be repaired,” Shi Hao carefully gathered the fragment.

“My child, be cautious in all that you do,” Elder Shi Zhong He offered his final words of guidance.

All the villagers had arrived to see him off. They watched as he and Qing Feng stepped onto the village’s sacrificial altar, many with tears in their eyes, silently waving goodbye.

“Grandfather Elder, Uncle, all of you, take care!” Shi Hao called out, his eyes misting over. This farewell might last decades or even centuries, perhaps even forever.

For after this departure, once he finished his affairs, he might never return to Stone Village, heading straight to the Higher Realm instead.

A flash of light shone from the altar as he and Qing Feng stepped into a passage, vanishing from sight.

In the imperial palace of the Shi Kingdom…

“Hmph, these people truly managed to enrage me. Performing human sacrifices, causing boundless calamities, indirectly killing our royal sovereign, and now they dare demand the Void Smelting Furnace!” War King raged with killing intent.

That day, another letter arrived, carrying the same message, only now with stronger threats.

The letter’s message was clear: the relics left behind by the Seven Deities were cursed and would bring catastrophe if kept any longer, possibly leading to an entire nation’s downfall.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been cut off from Stone Village. Otherwise, if we could summon those two, it’d certainly terrify them!” Ming King spoke, referring naturally to Mao Qiu and Xiao Hong.

More than a year ago, two beings with divine flames had visited this place, seeking the dying Shi Hao. This event had been kept secret and locked away from public knowledge.

At that time, both deities had suffered grave injuries, missing half their bodies. Now, they likely had mostly recovered.

“Pretentious! They killed our Stone Emperor, yet they still demand the weapons of destruction? Do they think there are no warriors left in our Shi Kingdom?!” Peng King spoke coldly.

Repeatedly, over the past few days, several letters had arrived, each more threatening than the last, stirring fury among them.

They had spent these days making preparations. It was time to act, and they remained cautious. If they indeed faced pressure from several major sects, they could not afford to let their guard down.

Remember, those sects had several venerable elders combined, and if they wielded powerful divine weapons and suddenly attacked, it would be a terrifying sight.

“A fire burns in my heart. I long to march straight to those sects, topple their sect headquarters, and sweep them all away!” War King declared.

“What a pity for the Emperor. Such an extraordinary talent, gone too soon,” someone murmured as they mentioned Shi Hao. Everyone fell silent, hearts heavy with sorrow.

Shi Hao was a rare genius, rising to fame in his youth, defeating all rivals, only to meet such a tragic fate. His story was one of misfortune, one that made all who recalled it sigh deeply.

“Qin Hao was born with two Supreme Supreme Sovereign bones. He must surely be dazzling in the Higher Realm. Only months ago, word still reached us that he had defeated five heavenly prodigies in succession.”

“Originally, the Stone Emperor was destined to ascend as well, destined to shine…” They could not bring themselves to finish.

What was done was done. What could they say? Young Shi had perished over a year ago, ultimately fading into the dust of history.

As for the other young man, gifted with one of Shi Hao’s bones, rising in the Higher Realm was truly a blessing. Now, no one could stop his rise.

“Curse it all! We are still lacking in strength. Otherwise, we’d have long avenged the Emperor, utterly destroying the foundations and lineages of those sects!”

“There will be a chance. It’s only that the Xian Palace has no inheritances in this realm, so we can’t strike at them. A bitter shame.”

The old kings discussed, their hearts pained as they recalled Shi Hao.

Just then, the ancestral altar inside the imperial palace began to glow brilliantly, forming a radiant passage. Someone was about to emerge. The guards stationed there were startled.

“Reporting! Someone has appeared at the ancestral altar!” a guard hurriedly announced.

“What?!” All the old kings immediately stood, rushing toward the altar. By instinct, they sensed someone from Stone Village was coming.

True enough, they saw Qing Feng stepping off the altar.

“Your Majesty, what has happened? Why have you been gone for over two months, and why was Stone Village sealed off from the world?” Ming King asked, naturally addressing Qing Feng as Emperor since his ascension.

Smiling warmly, Qing Feng showed no arrogance. He instead respectfully bowed to the old kings, addressing them as “great-granduncles,” saying, “Stone Village faced a grave crisis.”

“What kind of crisis?” All their hearts skipped a beat.

At the same time, they noticed the passage remained open. A figure slowly emerged from within, stepping onto the altar.

“Ah!” Nearby guards gasped, stunned speechless.

War King, Ming King, Peng King, and the others saw the silhouette, their minds roaring as if their eyes had filled with a hot surge. Their blood boiled.

“Emperor… Your Majesty!”

Their voices trembled. They could hardly believe it. Staring at the young man on the altar, all of them wide-eyed, they felt a surge of heat throughout their bodies, trembling slightly.

After more than a year, that familiar silhouette stood before them once more, like a dream. It shook each of them to their core—mouths dry, hearts pounding, unable to believe their eyes.

“Your Majesty, is it truly you?!” Not only the guards, but the old kings themselves felt like they were dreaming, astonished beyond words.

Over the past year, aside from Qing Feng, Qin Yi Ning, and a few others, only Yue Chan had occasionally appeared from the passage. Now, they were seeing Shi Hao again!

“This can’t be a dream, right? The Stone Emperor… he’s alive and appeared once more!” a guard couldn’t help shouting.

“Your Majesty!” The old kings rushed forward. They were certain now—this was no illusion. That aura was too familiar. There was no mistake. Shi Hao had returned!

“It is I. I made you all worry,” Shi Hao descended with steady steps. Seeing the old kings, he too was overwhelmed with emotion. In hardship, true loyalty was revealed. When he was near death, gravely wounded, these men had given everything the Shi Kingdom had to offer, posting rewards across the land, seeking any possible way to save him.

Moreover, they had sacrificed greatly—sacks of medicinal pills piled high like grain, clearly not obtained for free, but exchanged for great cost.

Even a Saintly Herb had been used, something not easily owned. It could only have been exchanged for some of the Shi Kingdom’s rare treasures with the Holy Lands.

“Your Majesty… you’re truly still alive!” Everyone shouted joyfully. Younger guards leapt into the air, overwhelmed with excitement and ecstasy.

“HAHAHA!” War King burst into laughter, nearly shedding tears. He had never expected this, his heart surging with joy and disbelief.

He had always loathed the Seven Deities and raged at the lineages of the Higher Realm, longing to avenge Shi Hao. Yet the true enemies either perished or resided in the Higher Realm, beyond his reach.

These past months, a bitter flame had burned in his chest. Shi Hao’s death had been tragic beyond words, and he had often drowned his sorrows in wine.

Yet today, seeing Shi Hao stepping off the altar, healthy and whole, how could he not be moved and tremble with joy?

“This… is a miracle!” Ming King also trembled, rushing to get a closer look at Shi Hao, fearing this was merely a vision conjured by longing.

“Your Majesty, you are extraordinary indeed! HAHA… At last, the heavens have opened their eyes! This world shall no longer be desolate!” Peng Jiu laughed heartily, tears brimming with joy, his heart soaring.

“HAHAHA!”

Loud, joyous laughter filled the palace, shaking the surrounding halls. The old kings couldn’t recall the last time they’d laughed so freely.

They returned to the central celestial hall, listening to Shi Hao recount his miraculous return from the brink of death. The great venerables were overwhelmed with emotion, then waved their hands, ordering wine and food to be prepared. A grand feast was to be held tonight, a night of heavy drinking and celebration. They were simply too happy.

Within the palace, laughter did not cease, as the clinking of drinking horns continued. These old kings had suffered so much inner turmoil for so long. Now, given such an incredible outcome, they nearly wished to howl toward the heavens. Only the finest wine could keep them momentarily silent.

“So glad! Who could have imagined this day would come! Your Majesty has returned from death! I wonder how those great sects will react!”

“If this news spreads, the entire world will be stunned, unable to believe their ears!”

“None would believe it! They’ll all think it’s false news! HAHAHA!”

Drinking and toasting, joy flowed freely.

“What is this?” Shi Hao noticed the letters on the table, frowning slightly. He picked one up, reading it with a cold smile soon after.

He naturally guessed it was the great sects demanding the return of the Seven Deities’ broken weapons. He hadn’t expected the Void Smelting Furnace to be so valuable.

“Void Metal is a peerless divine material, so rare that not even a small piece may appear in tens of thousands of years. This furnace contains a fragment of it, which has attracted their greed,” Ming King explained.

“Excellent. Excellent. Excellent!” Shi Hao said thrice, coldly. The sects hadn’t come seeking him out—he hadn’t gone after them yet, and they dared to demand his treasures? A surge of righteous fury ignited in his heart.

“Allied with the Higher Realm, they brought about the Emperor’s demise, and still dare come here? This time, they’ll pay dearly!” War King declared.

Now that Shi Hao had returned, they were emboldened, fearing nothing.

“Send them a reply. Tell the great sects that their treasures—their True God artifacts—are the true cursed relics. If they keep them, calamity will follow. They must deliver these artifacts to the Shi Kingdom immediately!” Shi Hao commanded.

The old kings were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. This reply would be a direct rebuttal, returning every accusation in kind!

“Add another line. They must submit their sect’s treasures within two days. If not, I shall personally go there and take them!” Shi Hao declared, his eyes blazing with authority.

“EXCELLENT!” Not only the old kings, but even the younger guards were inspired, their spirits soaring. The Stone Emperor had returned—undoubtedly, he remained as mighty and imposing as ever!