Chapter 609: Reluctance

Night had long since fallen, and starlight cascaded from the heavens.

“Their sins are unforgivable! How many lives must they have taken for their ambitions toward the Lower Realm? They truly deserve eradication!” declared the elder chieftain, reeking of alcohol, his eyes bulging as he spoke.

Everyone was filled with anger. To sacrifice beings of the Lower Realm as if they were mere livestock, treating them not as equals but as beasts, was abhorrent, bloody, and spine-chilling.

At the mention of it, young men like Da Zhuang and Er Meng felt their blood surge. They were eager to fight and kill those responsible, to wipe them from existence.

Moonlight shone clear and bright, the lake appearing like a sapphire, glistening serenely. Deep into the night, many had collapsed drunk, lying sprawled across the grass. Only a few still remained near the bonfire, drinking and chatting, though their faces were flushed red and their speech slurred.

“Kid, you must be extremely cautious when you enter the Upper Realm,” said Shi Lin Hu. “I’ve heard it’s unimaginably vast—each province there is larger than the entire Lower Realm, boundless and endless.”

“Yes,” added Little Rascal, drunk and emotional. “The Upper Realm is too mysterious, full of forbidden zones and deities. Everything there is unknown, with countless races and powerful experts everywhere. Be extremely careful.”

Over the past year, they had learned a great deal about the Upper Realm through the stories of Qin Yi Ning and others. The vast unknown world filled them with apprehension, and they were very concerned.

“I’ll be careful,” Shi Hao laughed. At this point, the world no longer knew of the youth called Xiao Shi. Everyone thought he was dead; he should be safe ascending there. Once he reached the Upper Realm, he could walk freely and strengthen himself. When the time for true confrontation came, he could deliver some “pleasant surprises” to certain people.

“Recently, I’ve grown restless while at peace. In a few more years, when I’m bored of staying here, I’ll go check out the Upper Realm too,” said Xiao Hong.

“Recovering for over a year, my injuries have finally mostly healed,” added Mao Qiu, breath reeking of alcohol.

Together with Xiao Hong, he had fought against a powerful enemy from the Western Sect, sustaining grave injuries and losing half his body to slay his opponent. After a year of recovery, he had finally regenerated a limb.

“I heard that recently, the Upper and Lower Realms can no longer connect; the celestial path has been severed, making travel between the two impossible,” said Shi Fei Jiao.

This had already been news two months prior. Recently, the sacrificial altar had been closed off, cutting off contact with the outside world. No doubt communication with the Upper Realm had become even more difficult.

“Yes, that’s true. I’ve heard the great immortal sects, such as Immortal Mountain and the Western Sect, have already lost the ability to send messages to the Upper Realm,” nodded Qing Feng.

Shi Hao furrowed his brows. If the celestial path was truly destroyed, ascending would likely become quite troublesome. But he believed there would still be a way.

Late into the night, stars dotted the sky. On the lakeside grass lay a sea of people, all drunk—including Shi Hao himself, his heart brimming with joy, utterly unrestrained.

Not until morning, when the Eight-Treasure Chicken had called out dozens of times, did the intoxicated crowd start to awaken, laughing heartily.

“Uncle Xiao Hao, we’ve prepared some beast milk for you—here!”

The women and children of the village had gone to sleep early the previous night, avoiding the intoxication. Now, they had risen, and a group of children came running, giggling incessantly.

Shi Hao grabbed one and flicked him on the forehead. The boy cried out in pain.

“Uncle Xiao Hao, look. We really made it! It smells so good! You’ve got to drink it quick, so you can take us into the mountains later. It’s been a long time since we’ve gone deep into the wilderness,” shouted one child.

Indeed, in a small clay pot, there was white liquid steaming aromatic vapors, which they proudly raised up as a gesture of “filial piety.”

It was blatant bribery—they wanted Shi Hao to take them into the mountains for wild adventures.

“Hehe…” Hu Zi, Runny Nose, and Little Rascal all laughed, watching Shi Hao, waiting for him to trip up.

Shi Hao smiled too, taking the pot from the children’s hands and drinking every last drop with confidence. After wiping his mouth clean, he praised, “Delicious indeed—very good taste!”

This caused Da Zhuang, Little Rascal, Qing Feng, and others to stare dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

“You impudent boy!” Shi Lin Hu and others chuckled, shaking their heads involuntarily.

The children stared blankly, expecting to merely offer a gesture of goodwill, though there was an element of bribery involved. They had assumed he wouldn’t actually drink it, but instead he had gulped it all down.

Just then, a toddler barely able to walk protested, pouting and mumbling, “That was our breakfast, and Uncle Xiao Hao drank it all.”

Beside him, two little girls, not even two years old, also puckered their lips, looking as though they might cry. “Uncle Xiao Hao, you stole our beast milk!”

At that moment, Shi Hao’s “dignified” expression vanished, and he hastily retreated to the chieftain’s courtyard.

“Hahaha!” The villagers erupted into laughter.

Undoubtedly, in the following days, the village was filled with joy and laughter. Shi Hao fulfilled all the children’s wishes, taking them deep into the wilderness to explore constantly.

During this time, the Great Red Bird and Da Shen Shi also returned, shouting loudly. Reuniting once more, finding each other alive, brought waves of joy.

Each day, everyone gathered by the lake to drink and chat deep into the night, their spirits uplifted.

During this period, Shi Hao traversed every corner of the wilds, exploring deeply into remote regions untouched by humans for thousands of years. He brought back over a dozen spirit herbs to cultivate in Shi Village, as well as auspicious beasts and rare birds. Though not quite as special as the Eight-Treasure Chicken, these creatures were still incredibly rare.

“This is a Silver Spirit Eel?” the elder chieftain exclaimed in surprise. He had previously read about these beings in ancient bone scriptures—silver-white in color, exuding a fragrant aroma, and no longer than a foot. They were extremely rare and precious.

The Silver Spirit Eel was extremely valuable medicinally, capable of strengthening tendons and bones and nourishing the body—an invaluable spiritual treasure.

This time, Shi Hao captured hundreds of them from a massive lake deep in the wilderness, releasing them into the lake outside Shi Village. This lake, too, was protected by a grand formation within the village, already transformed into a spiritual lake.

Originally, the lake already contained a species of Dragon-Whisker Fish, also no common creature.

“Wow, Golden-Speckled Soft-Shell Turtles! No need to kill them—just a bit of their blood can heal any severe injury,” Shi Lin Hu marveled.

Shi Hao captured eight of them, releasing them into the lake as well. These creatures were spiritual beings without aggressive tendencies and would become treasures over time, enhancing the health of the villagers.

For nearly half a month, Shi Hao continuously entered forbidden wildernesses, exploring the wilds with the children and the Great Red Bird, bringing back numerous rare treasures.

From Golden-Feathered Geese to Wood Spirit Oxen, he obtained everything imaginable—all peaceful creatures, essentially domesticated livestock now, raising them near Shi Village.

For Shi Hao was about to set off, filled with reluctance. He wished to do something meaningful for his village one last time before his departure.

He also used this time to recover. His broken bones fully mended, the cracks in his body completely vanished. His form gleamed pure and radiant, like jade, with blood energy surging like a mighty river.

On that day, Shi Hao sat in meditation upon a mountain peak, clouds and mist swirling around him. White vapor exhaled from his breath, like true dragons winding around his body.

“Hu!”

Finally, he exhaled a stream of refined energy, shaking the entire mountain. His pores relaxed and opened, emitting brilliant light.

At the same time, a crackling sound arose from his body. His luminous, snow-white limbs straightened as he stood up, his eyes radiating divine brilliance, like hidden celestial suns within.

His injuries were healed entirely. Once shattered into pieces, his body had been severely damaged. The past year of slumber hadn’t restored him, as he had remained in that broken state.

“Good. My combat strength has improved significantly,” he murmured. Fully healed, it was time to go out and travel once again.

“Uncle Xiao Hao, today Mao Qiu slayed a monstrous flood dragon, dozens of feet in length, glowing all over—it was terrifying!” a group of children reported from below.

“Uncle Xiao Hao, let’s hurry back. The elders have already placed the beast over the fire, preparing to roast it. Its aroma can be smelled from miles away—we’ve never tasted dragon flesh before!”

Upon hearing this, Shi Hao couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright then, let’s go back. Tonight, we’ll drink our fill—now with dragon meat to savor!”

He had become a king among children, leading a horde of younglings rushing back toward the village.

In the capital city of the Kingdom of Shi:

Several elder kings were gathered in a grand hall, discussing matters with solemn expressions.

“Just what has happened? Our ancestral grounds have become isolated from the world, unable to send or receive messages. I hope nothing ill-fated occurs,” sighed the War King.

“Two months have passed without a single word. Could something truly have gone amiss?” said the Ming King.

Shi Hao had passed over a year ago. The elder kings often thought of him, sighing endlessly. His talents had been extraordinary, powerful enough to challenge gods; yet his death had come too soon, an immense loss.

“What a pity, Emperor,” sighed Peng Jiu. Suddenly recalling something, he continued, “By the way, what are your thoughts on that recent matter?”

“What else could there be? Absolutely refuse—don’t even think about it. It’s obviously those sects, though don’t think we don’t know!” the War King sneered.

Recently, someone had come to the Kingdom of Shi, proposing to trade for the Void Smelting Furnace and the remnants of the Seven Gods.

“These people really deserve death! Without a doubt, they built the sacrificial altar back then, slaying countless souls to summon the Seven Gods into this world. How dare they now seek the relics?” Ming King said coldly.

“They most desire the fragments of the Void Smelting Furnace,” the War King noted.

A year ago, it was precisely that furnace that had protected the Seven Gods, allowing them to descend safely into this world. Although its protective glyphs were shattered and the furnace itself shattered during battles in the Xiling Realm, its fragments remained invaluable. Its material was particularly unique, incorporating “Void Gold,” one of the rarest and most sacred treasures in the world.

At the time, Shi Hao hadn’t fully understood its value but had still retrieved it, placing it safely within the kingdom’s vault.

“Report!”

Outside the hall, a guard arrived, delivering a sealed letter.

The parchment radiated a faint glow, inscribed with powerful glyphs. On it were words, once again addressing the matter of the Void Smelting Furnace and suggesting an exchange.

“They try persuasion and threats both! Claiming that the furnace is an ill-omened object—if kept too long, it might provoke blood calamities. Daring to warn us, are they?!” the War King flared in anger, thinking once again of Shi Hao, recalling his tragic fall.

It was precisely because of the “Heavenly Sacrifice” by those sects that all these troubles had originated.

“We haven’t even sought revenge for what’s already happened, and now they have the audacity to come after us? This time, there must be consequences—do they think the Kingdom of Shi is so easily bullied?!” After reading the letter, Peng Jiu rose, his war aura surging.