Chapter 397: A Single Blade of Grass Severing Stars

For years, he had known that the Desolate Domain was destined for upheaval. Now, was it finally beginning?

The willow tree stood verdant, its scorched trunk now pristine, with eighty-one emerald-green willow tendrils cascading down, suffused with chaotic energy, exuding an indescribable aura of the Great Dao.

“Willow God, when exactly will it begin?” Shi Hao asked.

“It could happen at any moment, no later than a year,” the Willow God replied calmly, its towering form lush with vitality, radiant green light pulsing with life.

Shi Hao inhaled sharply. What had once seemed distant now loomed abruptly, leaving him unsettled and shocked. This upheaval would claim countless lives.

After a long silence, he earnestly sought the Willow God’s counsel, their conversation stretching deep into the night.

From that day onward, Shi Hao devoted himself even more fiercely to cultivation, pushing his limits. He refined several treasure techniques to their pinnacle and explored new paths.

Seated beneath the willow tree, bathed in a hazy glow, Shi Hao immersed himself in enlightenment, studying the beast hide before him. With relentless effort, he deciphered the sword intent that pierced straight into his heart.

“Such formidable sword intent!”

Unable to unlock the hidden world within the hide, Shi Hao calmed his mind and meticulously analyzed the saintly sword intent. No wonder it had rivaled him in battle—its creator was undoubtedly a peerless genius of antiquity, a being whose might shook the world. The sword intent was vast and profound, containing boundless mysteries.

As he delved deeper, Shi Hao grew increasingly awed. Visions of heaven and earth parting flickered in his mind—such a grand legacy was truly rare.

“What kind of sword art is this?” His heart pounded. The owner of this hide must have regretted losing it dearly—this was an unparalleled inheritance.

Shi Hao immersed himself in the spiritual world, refining the sword intent again and again. Eventually, the heavens and earth manifested, swirling with mist. Though it was sword intent, it ultimately revealed a cosmos—one still blurred and dim, as if freshly separated.

“Shiing!”

A colossal sword aura erupted from the earth, piercing the heavens—a force capable of shaking the world!

“So powerful! To cleave through the heavens and earth—is this its ultimate form? If unleashed upon living beings, its might would be boundless,” Shi Hao murmured.

Even if nothing else, obtaining this hide in the Void God Realm had been worth it. This was a rare legacy of slaughter, far beyond his expectations.

As he continued refining, Shi Hao grew entranced. This was a treasure technique, synthesizing the most lethal aspects of various arts into a singular method.

“Sword Formation!”

The more he comprehended, the more awestruck he became. This was undoubtedly the work of an ancient supreme being. He discerned traces of multiple treasure techniques, their most fearsome runes fused together.

“I underestimated this sword intent. It’s even stronger than I imagined.”

Especially now, at the “Array Formation” realm, this was an ideal choice for engraving within his body. He even considered dedicating one of his ten heavenly passages to nurture this sword intent.

Days passed as Shi Hao lost himself in study. Gradually, the sword intent evolved, birthing new runes and mysteries.

The misty heavens and earth now bore stars and a hanging sun. A single blade of grass rose from the earth, unleashing sword aura that slashed toward the celestial bodies.

“This is…” Shi Hao’s pupils contracted, then blazed with intensity, unwilling to miss a single detail.

As the sword aura swept across the sky, massive stars trembled, nearly plummeting—what a staggering sight!

The sword intent evolved further. The blade of grass soared, cleaving a star in two, its symbols blooming across the firmament.

“Is this the ultimate evolution, or merely a theoretical possibility?” Shi Hao whispered, his heart racing.

Finally, all sword aura vanished. The heavens and earth parted, the mist dissipated, and the beast hide dimmed. The runes coalesced into a single blade of grass—its faint imprint the only remnant.

“A blade of grass… the origin of this sword intent?” Shi Hao was stunned.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered an inscription beside the grass, shaking him to his core. The master of this ancient sword intent was a blade of grass!

“A blade of grass can sever the sun and moon, the stars…”

At that moment, Shi Hao sat motionless, profoundly moved. This ancient supreme being’s true form was a mere blade of grass, yet its mastery of the Dao reached unfathomable heights.

Lost in enlightenment, Shi Hao remained like a statue for half a month. The villagers, accustomed to his ways, left him undisturbed beneath the willow tree.

When he finally stirred, his ten heavenly passages manifested, shimmering with radiant light. Within one, countless runes condensed into a blade of grass, floating serenely.

Moreover, within his flesh, he engraved formations—symbols and sword intent capable of severing celestial bodies, sprouting like leaves in his blood.

The sword formation shrank into a mote of light, pulsing with radiance as it flowed through his veins.

Shi Hao was satisfied. In the “Array Formation” realm, one engraved and created formations—and now, he wielded a slaughter formation of immense power.

This, too, was cultivation. He advanced steadily on this path.

The more he grasped this sword intent, the more profound it seemed. Though rooted in the runes of a blade of grass, its potential was limitless.

“Even the legacies of pure-blooded creatures may not reach such heights. Perhaps it could slay them!”

Finally, Shi Hao attempted to unlock the hidden world once more. With a thunderous crack, a fissure appeared, revealing the word “Six Paths.”

Alas, it remained sealed.

“Willow God, what is this?” Shi Hao asked beneath the tree.

“Guard this hide well. When your cultivation reaches the required level, it will open naturally,” the Willow God replied.

Shi Hao pondered deeply. The hide recorded the method of a blade of grass, while concealing a world within—truly astonishing.

For another month, Shi Hao consolidated his gains before rising.

He recalled the Willow God’s promise to impart techniques, withheld due to his insufficient cultivation. Though curious, he refrained from asking.

Time flowed. At fifteen, after over a year in the village, Shi Hao felt the need to venture out. Constant seclusion was not ideal.

Cultivation required a tranquil heart. Overzealousness often led to stagnation—a truth many knew but sometimes forgot.

“Can I still travel now?” Shi Hao worried. With the domain on the brink of chaos, the future was uncertain.

“Go. Beings from beyond the domain have arrived. Travel, spar—it will benefit you,” the Willow God advised.

It also assured him that if upheaval threatened him, the crystalline willow branch he had received before the Northern Sea journey could instantly return him to Stone Village.

Shi Hao departed, bringing along the Crimson Bird, promising to find it a master. He gifted it the red feather left by Little Red in the village.

“Really? The Fire Clan’s totem—tiny as a bean—will teach me?” The bird chattered excitedly throughout the journey.

A descendant of the Vermilion Bird as its master? The thought made it grin foolishly.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

Mid-journey, the bird shrieked as Shi Hao doused it in black dye, masking its crimson brilliance.

Now resembling a crow, it carried Shi Hao across the wilderness, drawing curses from onlookers.

“Ugh, a crow spirit! Bad luck!”

The bird fumed but flew on, eventually reaching civilized lands.

A month later, they arrived at the Fire Nation’s imperial capital—a testament to the vastness of the land.

Before entering, they descended. The bird shrank, perching on Shi Hao’s shoulder.

Both disguised—Shi Hao altering his appearance—they avoided the commotion his fame would bring.

“The Transformation Art of the Golden Furred Beast is truly useful,” Shi Hao mused, entering the city unchallenged.

The bustling streets teemed with life, a stark contrast to the village’s tranquility.

The capital, one of the Desolate Domain’s grandest, hosted beings of all kinds.

Shi Hao spotted many young experts, some unfamiliar.

“What race is that?” The bird eyed winged maidens with halos, its gaze covetous.

Shi Hao, too, was puzzled. These were no ordinary winged folk.

Inquiries revealed them as young elites from beyond the domain, drawn by the fame of the “Twin Stones” battle.

“The battle shook the world, even reaching foreign ears. Many seek to challenge the victor,” someone explained.

Foreign sects prepared to invade the Desolate Domain.

“Some refuse to believe Shi Hao’s prowess and seek him through his ties to the Fire Clan’s princess,” another added.

The legend of the Dual-Pupiled One, vanquished in this era, had rippled beyond borders.

“I refuse to believe Shi Hao is that formidable!” a foreign youth sneered nearby.

Shi Hao listened, unmoved.

“Are the Twin Stones truly so mighty? I’d like to witness their might myself,” a stunning maiden murmured, her beauty dazzling.

“Ah, one of the Ten Beauties of the Profound Domain!” an onlooker gasped.

“Overrated, if you ask me. I’d relish a duel,” another boasted.

“Shi Hao, unrivaled under the heavens? Face him, and you’d sing a different tune,” someone retorted.

The city brimmed with foreign cultivators, all formidable.

“Alas, since that battle, Shi Hao has vanished. Some say the Void God Realm’s lords imprisoned him; others claim his duel left him crippled. Who knows the truth?”

Shi Hao was amused. Over a year later, his name still stirred debate.

“I’ll wait. Let’s see if this so-called ‘Little Stone’ dares show himself. I’ll test his mettle!” a voice jeered.

None knew that the prodigious king, younger than any could imagine, now stood among them, having entered the grand capital unnoticed.