This cauldron, with its soft luster, was exquisitely crafted. It had appeared so unexpectedly, and in such a peculiar manner.
Now, it had shrunk to only an inch in height—tiny and delicate. If one weren’t paying attention, it might easily be overlooked. Snow-white and crystalline, it seemed as though it had been carved from immortal bone.
This was undoubtedly the same cauldron from before!
Though its size had diminished, Shi Hao would never mistake it. It had to be that very cauldron, lost in the past and now returned by a bird.
“Where do you think you’re going?!” The Golden Lion was the first to leap into action, soaring into the sky in an instant. It opened its massive maw, inhaling the clouds like a tempest, swallowing every wisp of vapor in the heavens.
It wanted to devour the palm-sized Five-Colored Sparrow in one gulp. The bird had infuriated it beyond measure—leaving a dropping on its nose, the greatest humiliation it had ever suffered.
But it was too late. The radiant Five-Colored Sparrow was far too swift. By the time the lion took to the air, the bird was already gone.
A trail of afterimages lingered as it vanished into the distant horizon, disappearing without a trace.
“Come back here!” the Golden Lion roared, its golden mane bristling like electrified spikes, radiating a brilliant glow.
Yet, it could not catch up. The bird had already escaped.
But now, no one paid the lion any attention. All eyes were fixed on the small cauldron on the ground.
Even the Five-Colored Sparrow had only drawn their gaze momentarily. Once it departed, everyone’s focus shifted unwaveringly to the tiny cauldron.
Everyone knew this object was extraordinary. Just looking at it evoked a sense of profound mystery, an unfathomable depth.
Indeed, though the cauldron appeared pristine, glowing with a sacred luster, it still exuded an enigmatic aura—especially within its mouth, which seemed unnaturally “deep.”
Despite its small size, the interior of the cauldron appeared hazy, as if filled with primordial chaos, impossible to see through at a glance.
This was bizarre. How could something only an inch tall obscure its own depths?
Shi Hao moved first, stepping forward. He bent down, lifting the cauldron with delicate fingers as if plucking a flower, scrutinizing it closely.
“Hmm?!” Shi Hao was startled, his expression shifting. Even with his Heavenly Eye activated, he could barely make out the blurred patterns at the bottom of the cauldron.
A one-inch-tall cauldron, yet even his Heavenly Eye couldn’t fully penetrate it. It felt as though the distance wasn’t an inch, but an entire cosmos, an ancient universe.
“There are marks on the cauldron’s walls—not smooth, as if small pieces are missing!”
Upon closer inspection, Shi Hao noticed that these marks were oddly symmetrical, square-shaped, as if deliberately chiseled away to form shallow depressions.
Were these marks part of the cauldron’s original design, or had someone tried to conceal something by grinding them down?
Shi Hao frowned. The symmetry suggested intent, not randomness.
Was this the Five-Colored Sparrow’s wedding gift?
“It resembles the material of the Ten Thousand Spirit Diagram!”
Shi Hao looked up at the sky. Today had been full of surprises. The appearance of this strange little bird had truly given him an unexpected delight.
Now, no further proof was needed. Everyone in Stone Village knew this bird was extraordinary.
Decades had passed, yet it remained unchanged—unfathomable and impossible to capture.
“That bird can traverse the void, merging with heaven and earth. Otherwise, I would’ve caught it long ago!” the Golden Lion grumbled indignantly.
The wedding resumed. This was merely an interlude—a brief moment of astonishment and chatter before the festivities reclaimed their joyous rhythm.
“First bow to heaven and earth, second bow to parents, third bow to each other!”
Amid laughter and clamor, the ceremony proceeded smoothly. The couple bowed to one another.
Though they were cultivators, the wedding mirrored mortal traditions. Stone Village, after all, had grown from humble beginnings, preserving its simple customs.
Yun Xi’s heart trembled. Was she truly bound to Huang now, united as Dao companions?
It felt like a dream. Despite her mental preparation, the reality still struck her as abrupt. Once adversaries, once companions in life and death…
In the end, this was the outcome—one that even she found surreal.
Back then, Shi Hao had escorted her back to the Heaven Mending Sect, only to nearly lose his life. From then on, he and the sect became mortal enemies. At the time, she had been heartbroken, knowing they might never walk the same path again, drifting further apart.
“Whoo! Time to crash the wedding chamber!” A group of children cheered.
The children of the past had grown into adults. Now, a new generation had taken their place. Stone Village’s population was flourishing, thriving endlessly.
The children’s antics drew in a crowd of half-grown youths.
“You little rascals! Keep this up, and I’ll toss every one of you into the North Sea’s abyss!” Da Zhuang bellowed.
“Ha ha ha!”
In the distance, Qin Yi Ning and Shi Zi Ling laughed heartily, relieved. Their eldest son was married—a wish fulfilled.
“Good, good, very good!” Old Clan Leader Shi Yun Feng nodded repeatedly, his face alight with joy. Though his years advanced, his spirit remained vigorous, his body stronger than ever.
His vitality hadn’t waned. On the contrary, he grew sturdier—thanks to cultivation and the village’s environment.
Stone Village was rich with divine herbs—Void Heaven Divine Vine, Heavenly Deity Trees… Their essence suffused the air, nourishing every villager, young and old.
The new generation of Stone Village boasted ever-greater talents, largely due to this.
From the womb, they were bathed in the essence of divine herbs. How could their bones not be extraordinary at birth?
The wedding chamber was a secluded courtyard, shielded by formations, inaccessible to outsiders. It was a paradise—lush with exotic flowers, artfully arranged rocks, and verdant trees.
The newlyweds, once entangled in complex relations, now sat in silence, facing each other.
Yun Xi’s skin was like fine jade, her eyes brimming with spirit. She gazed at Shi Hao without the coyness of a maiden—outwardly composed, at least.
But her heart? That was another matter. In truth, it raced wildly.
Shi Hao studied her, memories flooding back. In the end, it was Yun Xi who stood by his side. He felt a mix of emotions—nostalgia, melancholy, joy, and regret. His heart was a tempest.
Other figures threatened to surface in his mind, vivid and real, stirring his soul.
Had the obsessions he once shattered begun to stir anew?
Human strength had limits. How could one sever all emotion, all inner turmoil?
Qing Yi—hadn’t the Heaven Mending Sect promised to send her down to reunite with him? Why hadn’t she come?
And Huo Ling’er—her presence, too, reassembled from scattered thoughts.
**Boom!**
Shi Hao shuddered violently, divine power surging. “One final severing—no matter the cost!”
Yun Xi was stunned. On their wedding night, was her Dao companion entering enlightenment? He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, as if in deep meditation.
The next moment, she saw his myriad obsessions manifest—fleeing his body, taking form as indistinct shadows that circled him in the void.
A charred willow tree, dead and lifeless. Fire mulberry trees taking root everywhere. Qing Yi and Yue Chan merging into one. The brutal wars at the border of the foreign realm. The tragic fall of the Grand Elder. The dark tide of sinister beings. The most terrifying reckoning in history…
Too many obsessions!
Finally, Shi Hao expelled them all, casting them into the vast sky.
He had entered seclusion—on his wedding night. Motionless as stone, he seemed to listen to the heavens’ chants for eternity.
**Boom!**
A month later, the courtyard became forbidden ground. No one could approach. People saw supreme Dao laws swirling around Shi Hao, cradling him at their center.
Like a phoenix reborn, the Dao laws resembled newborn True Phoenix feathers, bestowing power, elevating him to his peak.
“The aura of a Supreme Being!”
Was he truly about to become a Supreme? Everyone was astounded.
“Too dangerous! Had he not set up formations to isolate the courtyard, the entire village would’ve been at risk!” someone exclaimed, heart pounding.
“He’s restraining himself. If he unleashed his full power, we’d all be doomed!”
“Evacuate the village! Leave this place to him!” Old Clan Leader Shi Yun Feng ordered.
They decided to use Stone Village as a buffer. The entire village was a grand formation, activated long ago by the Willow Deity.
“Look! The Dao laws—those True Phoenix feather-like chains—are retracting into his body, forming a cocoon!”
Shi Hao was now encased in a shell of feathers, like a chrysalis, as if preparing for rebirth.
“The aura of a Supreme… He’s truly embarking on that path!” The Golden Lion was horrified.
Shi Hao’s energy was condensing. If it erupted, if it breached the formation, the heavens and earth would collapse!
This was perilous—for Stone Village, for the entire wilderness, even for the Desolate Domain.
Fortunately, the energy wasn’t leaking. It was being internalized!
Shi Hao was treading the path of a Supreme. If he succeeded, he would shatter ancient myths, becoming the youngest and mightiest Human Dao Supreme in history!
On that same day, at that same moment, the Upper Realm underwent a cataclysmic change—one that shook the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!
Ancient continents shifted, moving slowly. Once a unified whole, they had been shattered during the Immortal Ancient War, divided into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Now, an inexplicable force guided them, possibly reuniting them.
But that wasn’t all. Something even more shocking occurred in the Upper Realm.
“Is the Age of Decay upon us? Heavens, the world is retaliating!” a voice cried out—a high-ranking figure from the Immortal Domain!
The world was undergoing a drastic transformation, an event that would shock all of history.
Was this man-made or a natural calamity?
Was it an omen? Many trembled, their souls quaking in fear!
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