“Whoosh… whoosh…” The horn sounded. The azure-gold warship crossed the void, departing from the Western Church, gradually fading from sight.
Inside the ship, radiant lights shimmered; treasures and spiritual herbs were piled like small mountains, emitting dazzling auroras that dazzled one’s eyes.
“What a tremendous haul! These ancient sects are indeed profound and deeply rooted, far beyond imagination!” King Ming exclaimed from within the ship. Even he felt his heart surge with excitement, let alone the young ones—the treasures were simply too numerous and thrilling to behold.
The Shi Kingdom wasn’t shabby either; it was an ancient divine kingdom. Yet, compared to the Heaven-Mending Sect and the Western Church, it paled significantly.
“This cauldron is impressive—it’s a True God artifact,” War King remarked, visibly moved.
Ancient and weathered, the cauldron emitted a fragrance when a bowl of water was poured into it, hinting at how many precious herbs had been refined within. Shi Hao also noticed this cauldron; it had been obtained from the Heaven-Mending Sect. It was grayish-brown, seemingly carved from stone, and etched with extraordinary Dao markings—extraordinarily rare.
At rest, it was only a foot square, but when flames were summoned to refine herbs, it expanded, exuding an ancient majesty. Shi Hao examined it closely and decided to give it to Shi Village as compensation. During the battle against the old servant of the Fairy Palace, he had destroyed both of the village’s ancestral treasures.
Shortly after, Shi Hao picked up a bone sword, a vine staff, and a fist-high, crimson-red divine furnace. All of them shimmered with divine patterns, displaying immense power—the finest of ancient divine artifacts.
Shi Hao handed them to Qing Feng, instructing him to bring them back to Shi Village to protect their clanspeople.
Naturally, War King and King Ming had no objections; after all, both great sects had been destroyed by Shi Hao. This massive haul included other formidable ancient artifacts that would be left for the Shi Kingdom.
“What a bountiful harvest! I never imagined we’d gain so much!” King Peng lamented. Even as a Monarch, he could not calm his excitement.
“Your Majesty, please also select a weapon for yourself,” advised War King.
A row of weapons hung there, ranging from Monarch-grade to God-grade, exuding radiant treasures and diverse auras—truly magnificent.
Shi Hao nodded. He was heading to the higher realms and indeed needed a powerful artifact for protection. As for the treasures that would safeguard the kingdom, he had no intention of taking them with him.
After observing carefully, the elder kings accompanied him, explaining the origins and functions of these artifacts. After capturing the two holy sects, they had interrogated the prisoners to learn details about these treasures.
Shi Hao examined them once more but found none particularly appealing. Finally, he fixed his gaze on a divine basin filled with crystalline Diamond Essence, exuding a strange fragrance.
“Let’s go with this one.”
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a demon-subduing pestle from within the basin. The pestle was mysterious—crafted from an unknown beast bone, its surface dull and lacking luster.
Yet everyone knew it was an ancient artifact, extraordinary and undoubtedly forged by a deity.
As soon as he grasped it, Shi Hao felt a significant weight. Though the pestle was only a foot long, it weighed several thousand jin—clearly constructed from peculiar and unique materials.
With a slight swing, the bone-polished demon-subduing pestle traced a sea of glyphs in the air, releasing astonishing fluctuations. In an instant, it shattered a nearby mountain into rubble.
“Exceptionally powerful—this weapon is excellent,” War King nodded approvingly.
“Found it!” A guard suddenly cried joyfully, presenting an ancient scroll.
“The formula for Golden Body Liquid?!” King Ming exclaimed, breathless.
The Heaven-Mending Sect possessed a treasure liquid known as Golden Body Liquid, extremely precious and historically reserved for core disciples like Yue Chan to consume or soak in.
The Shi Kingdom had long sought this formula and now had found it in the treasure trove.
Its value rivaled that of Diamond Essence. If one could obtain enough Divine Liquid and refine it into Golden Body Liquid, physical enhancement would be significantly accelerated to its peak.
In ancient times, Shi Yi—who bore the Consecutive Pupils—had gained immense physiognomic solidity from a large stock of Golden Body Liquid, enabling his body to rival Shi Hao’s naturally cultivated Divine Body without falling short.
“Pity though, it’s incomplete—only the upper volume. The lower one is missing; we can only refer to it now,” Shi Hao sighed after a careful perusal.
The complete ancient formula was lost along with the Monarch from the Heaven-Mending Sect who perished in the lower realm.
Sacred techniques and divine recipes were closely guarded secrets held only by key individuals, rarely left behind. Their consciousness bore restrictions—if touched, they would self-destruct.
“Still, we gained Diamond Essence’s formula—we should rejoice!”
Not everything could be perfect. Obtaining one ancient recipe meant great fortune—one capable of strengthening the Shi Clan. To expect to acquire everything would be unrealistic.
Such greed might invite divine retribution.
The azure-gold warship pierced the “Domain Wall” and returned to the Wasteland, stirring great commotion across the land. The Shi Kingdom had ventured distant domains, waged war, and returned triumphant—shaking the entire world.
They hadn’t merely attacked an ordinary sect; they had overthrown three Holy Sanctuaries, a feat people initially struggled to believe.
For countless millennia, the Heaven-Mending Sect, Everlasting Mountain, and Western Church had ruled the lower realm, unchallenged and immortal in reputation.
Yet now, their sects were destroyed, their foundations severed.
“Little Shi is truly divine—he resurrected from death itself, shattered every sanctuary, and is destined to etch himself into history forever!”
The significance of this event was immense, sure to leave a profound mark in cultivation history.
Shi Hao understood that toppling these sanctuaries was only possible because this was an age when no gods remained—most formidable beings had been captured by immortal entities.
Otherwise, in any other era, with guardians who had ignited divine flames within, such sects would have been undefeatable.
The azure-gold warship did not return directly to Shi’s capital, but headed westward toward the borderlands, horn blaring through the sky, unsettling nearby factions.
People knew—this was the final strike against the Little Western Heaven, leaving only one hostile sect unsubdued.
A Saber-Toothed Lion paced at the border—the spirit-form of Shi Hao himself, guarding the Little Western Heaven to prevent any crucial figures from escaping.
He did not attack, because this place was unique, sealed within a small world now isolated from the outside.
“Time to test this treasure pestle,” Shi Hao said. Standing atop the azure-gold ship, his body radiating light, he ignited Divine Power and hurled the pestle fiercely.
“Boom!”
The bone-crafted divine pestle transformed into a mass of white brilliance, surging forward and crashing into the sealed stone gates. From that point, boundless glyphs erupted.
In an instant, nearby wilderness exploded, mountains cracked open, suffering immense shockwaves.
Surrounding hills lay barren, entirely obliterated, their peaks severed—undoubtedly, the small realm’s entrance had been pierced.
“Exceptionally powerful artifact!” Shi Hao praised. The others stood agape, recognizing its rarity—even among True God artifacts, it was exceptional.
“Pity though; using it unleashes a distinct Western Church symbol—easily identifiable,” Shi Hao lamented. It was a troubling issue.
Inside the Little Western Heaven, chaos erupted—enemy forces were near, and panic spread. With their divine gateway shattered, calamity loomed imminent.
Shi Hao struck first, soon growing furious upon discovering several notorious outlaws—infamous bandit leaders from the Wasteland, instantly reminding him of the marauding gangs ravaging the wilds.
“Die!” He unleashed slaughter.
Unexpectedly, aside from the deceased jade-white dragon elephant, the sect still harbored a Monarch-level expert—an opponent of considerable might—but even so, he met his end.
This sect was doomed, for whether it was their hostility toward the Shi Kingdom or their past atrocities in the wilds—slaughtering small tribes—it warranted retribution.
The Little Western Heaven may have lacked divine treasures, but its herb fields overflowed with lushness, radiant and fragrant.
Its medicinal stores were abundant, including rare treasures like Golden Grass, Falling Moon Flower, and Violet-Star Orchids.
Most excitingly, a flame cave housed treasures such as Fire Spirit Bloom, Vermilion Bird Orchid, and Crimson Light Grass. Moreover, a swamp nurtured spirit insects like Flame Serpents, Red-Heaven Centipedes, and Three-Legged Frogs.
“Transport these back to the Shi Kingdom for cultivation—we’ll never worry about medicinal shortages again!” King Ming declared.
“Now we’re fully equipped. We can now synthesize all potions below Monarch-level, even brewing some lesser Small Nirvana Pills,” Shi Hao nodded.
With the collapse of the Little Western Heaven, all major enemies were defeated, marking the Shi Kingdom’s powerful resurgence. News spread like wildfire—shaking the ten directions.
Finally, a disciple of Li Clan from the Shi Kingdom’s capital, named Li Bai Ding—who had once cultivated at the Little Western Heaven—took charge of cleaning up the mess.
Thus, the Little Western Heaven became a city subordinate to the Shi Kingdom, now under its command.
The kingdom flourished—thanks to Shi Hao’s return from death, toppling multiple sanctuaries, shaking the world, leaving no rivals.
“It’s time to leave,” Shi Hao sighed gently, standing inside the central heavenly palace.
Outside, the world buzzed, the world in an uproar.
Shi Hao ignored the clamor and began his retreat. He needed to refine medicinal pills—accomplishing a few final tasks before departure.
Inside the grand palace, spiritual essence swirled; various spirit herbs gathered, rare minerals transported into the hall—spirit insects also prepared accordingly.
For half a month straight, Shi Hao refined pills, furnace after furnace. Many were given to Qing Feng for delivery to Shi Village, with another batch left in the kingdom’s treasury.
In the end, he even re-refined more precious Small Nirvana Pills—priceless treasures capable of transforming Kings into Monarchs!
“It’s time to depart; I must seek my own fate,” Shi Hao said, rising to his feet, concluding his medicinal work.
War King, King Peng, and Qing Feng wished to persuade him to stay but found no words. Shi Hao must journey toward the Upper Realm, seeking a divine path—an endeavor they could not halt.
“Your Majesty!” The elder kings felt deeply sorrowful. From Shi Hao’s rise to his fall, reemergence, and rebirth, too much had transpired—memories that would remain forever.
“Will you not visit the village one last time?” Qing Feng asked tearfully. This farewell could mean forever parting—never meeting again.
“No, better to leave without sorrow,” Shi Hao replied.
“Stone Emperor!” Many nobles gathered, bidding Shi Hao farewell with reluctance, some shedding tears.
Especially the young warriors, who felt heartbreak. Shi Hao had led them to conquer the holy sects, dominating all, stabilizing the world, and inspiring reverence and awe in their hearts.
“Goodbye!” Shi Hao turned, striding forward resolutely.
Though hearts ached, none could stop him.
Qing Feng wept openly, crying out: “Take care… clan leader, uncle, and all the companions who grew up with us—we all miss you! Shall we meet again in this life?”
Shi Hao paused momentarily, eyes clouding, emotion welling up. Yet he did not look back, and with that, vanished completely.
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