Chapter 135: The Aura of the Supreme Sovereign

Upon the sacred Spirit Mountain, auspicious energy surged forth, with streaks of radiant light spilling in all directions, like a meteor shower descending—dazzling, beautiful, and breathtaking. Little Rascal sat cross-legged atop a massive boulder, his entire body glowing. Despite sealing his pores and covering his mouth and nose, the Taiyi True Water still transformed into luminous brilliance that gushed out, enveloping the mountaintop in a blinding spectacle.

“Such extravagance! This deserves a thunderbolt from the heavens!” The Crimson Bird stretched its neck, eyes wide, feathers bristling in shock. This wasn’t mere dew on grass blades or the rain that fell from the sky—this was genuine Taiyi True Water, a single drop of which could send the outside world into a frenzy. And yet, here was this little brat squandering it so recklessly. It all felt surreal. The Crimson Bird let out a howl, sounding more like a wolf than a fierce raptor.

“If you can’t refine it, give it to me! Don’t waste it!” The Crimson Bird’s eyes burned red as it spoke, then immediately acted, opening its beak to spew forth a black cauldron. Glyphs flickered as it began absorbing the divine liquid.

“Let me lend you a hand!” Xiao Tian also found the waste unbearable and stepped in to assist the Crimson Bird.

“Thank you, kind-hearted youth! With your extraordinary bearing, you’re destined for greatness!” the Crimson Bird expressed its gratitude.

Xiao Tian flicked his sleeve, nearly turning to leave on the spot.

The black cauldron hovering mid-air was terrifying, densely inscribed with glyphs that wove together bolts of lightning and flames, sealing the area. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t an actual iron pot but rather an egg polished into shape, gleaming with an inky luster like polished obsidian.

The Taiyi True Water, having left its source, lacked strong autonomous will despite its attempts to flee. The divine liquid that surged forth was limited, all of it now collected within the black cauldron.

“Hahaha… What a treasure!” The Crimson Bird’s beak gaped wide, nearly splitting as drool threatened to spill. It hastily wiped its mouth with a fiery-red wing.

Xiao Tian could only sigh at the sight. This bird shared the same temperament as his newly acquainted friend—salivating at the sight of something valuable. What a strange habit.

On the boulder, Little Rascal cracked open one eye, only for another burst of radiant light to escape. He quickly shut it again, muffling his voice as he grumbled, “That’s my divine liquid…”

“Haha, now it’s mine! Speak up, spill out some more radiance!” the Crimson Bird taunted.

The silver-robed youth also advised, “Brother, I think you should cough it up. Don’t force yourself. This is Taiyi True Water, not some elixir. Consuming it recklessly will lead to disaster.”

“It’s fine… I’ve refined some already. I can handle it,” Little Rascal mumbled through his hands, his words barely intelligible.

“What? You can actually refine it?” The Crimson Bird’s eyes bulged before it promptly imitated him, crossing its long bird legs and sitting on the grass, wings cradling the black cauldron. With a gulp, it downed all the divine liquid and immediately began refining it without another word.

“Brother, even if you can refine it, you’ve drunk too much—at least eight or ten pounds! You need to expel some, or else the Taiyi True Water might dissolve you instead,” Xiao Tian warned with concern.

Little Rascal covered his mouth, refusing to speak further. His large eyes darted about as he sat cross-legged, summoning every ounce of strength to activate his glyphs and refine the liquid.

The sound of the Dao rumbled, glyphs flickering incessantly. Before long, mist and radiant light billowed from Little Rascal, submerging the entire mountaintop in brilliance.

At this point, the Taiyi True Water ceased its attempts to flee, instead gathering around Little Rascal, resisting him—seeking to refine him instead.

This was a divine substance with unimaginable sentience. Once it made such a decision, the consequences were terrifying.

Xiao Tian sucked in a cold breath, clutching the jade jar in his arms. Fortunately, it contained a Light-Stabilizing Pearl; otherwise, the divine liquid inside would not have remained calm.

“Gah—!” Finally, the Crimson Bird couldn’t hold back, spewing the divine liquid in a burst of radiance. But the creature was swift, immediately sucking it all back in with another gulp.

“If that savage child can endure, so can I!” it declared.

On the boulder, Little Rascal’s body became translucent, glyphs interweaving within his flesh as the Taiyi True Water fiercely resisted. Some of the divine liquid had already merged into his blood and flesh, making his body shine even brighter. He had truly succeeded in refining a portion, strengthening himself.

This was an unimaginable surge of vital essence—vast and boundless beyond comprehension. For Little Rascal to refine all of it would be an immense challenge, likely overwhelming his body.

And yet, his physique rivaled that of a young primordial beast of the heavens. Any ordinary person would have already exploded.

“Grr… Not giving up!” Little Rascal’s eyes bulged, cheeks puffed, mouth covered as he made one final effort.

“Boom!”

The Taiyi True Water retaliated, fearing refinement, striking even more violently. His entire body seemed to ignite.

“Mother of mine! Is he about to explode? Maybe I should observe first…” The Crimson Bird, still watching, promptly spat out the divine liquid, sealing it back into the black cauldron.

Xiao Tian felt nauseated just watching. No one else would dare use that liquid now—this bird was truly no good.

“Boom!”

The Taiyi True Water surged, causing Little Rascal’s body to tremble violently, like a leaf adrift in a stormy sea, on the verge of being shattered by the waves.

Muffling his mouth, he muttered, “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just nourish two treasures instead.”

Naturally, Little Rascal wouldn’t gamble with his life. No matter how precious the divine liquid was, forcibly absorbing it wasn’t worth the risk. If it proved impossible, he would have to relinquish some.

“Boom!”

Another colossal wave struck. His body convulsed violently, bones clanging as the divine liquid scoured his flesh. He was on the verge of collapse.

But then—his chest suddenly grew hot, erupting with dazzling light and a terrifying pulse that eclipsed the heavens and earth.

The clouds above churned violently, as if breathing in sync with his chest. The surrounding mountains trembled, threatening to shatter.

The silver-robed youth was stunned, hastily shielding himself with a treasure, scarcely believing his eyes.

The Crimson Bird was dumbfounded, beak hanging open, wings flapping unconsciously.

Little Rascal’s chest heaved as if a vertical bone were forming within, radiating awe-inspiring light. Fortunately, it was only a pulse—not the unleashing of invincible divine power.

All the Taiyi True Water within his body was subdued, shifting from chaos to tranquility before dissolving into countless strands of radiance that converged toward his chest.

There, it was as if a sun had formed—blindingly bright, with what appeared to be a crystalline infant seated at its core.

Threads of vital essence, resplendent as starry rivers, gathered toward it. The Taiyi True Water had become mere nourishment, swiftly absorbed by that essence, merging into the miniature sun. It was as if a supreme being was being nurtured within.

Little Rascal was awestruck. He clearly sensed a unique power awakening—one that seemed intent on repairing his damaged body. The aura was familiar, something he had experienced in his earliest years.

“The Supreme Bone…” His large eyes grew misty.

Since his birth, too much had happened—brutal, bloody tragedies unfolding one after another. His bone had been gouged out; though born of the Martial Prince’s lineage, he had been cast into exile, separated from his parents, their fates unknown.

All of it had stemmed from this bone.

Originally, both the Supreme Bone and his vital essence had been stolen, implanted within that godlike youth, Shi Yi. He had thought he would never see it again.

Yet now, his chest burned as if a vertical bone were regenerating, emitting blinding light, forming a miniature sun too radiant to behold.

Little Rascal could distinctly sense his vital essence reviving, rebuilding, gathering strength—preparing to regrow a Supreme Bone!

“Willow God’s speculation was right…” he murmured.

Throughout his journey, whether laughing or raging, his heart had remained pure and unwavering, steadfast in his pursuit of becoming the strongest.

Now, he felt incredible, bathed in a mysterious radiance, increasingly aware of the blazing, terrifying power in his chest—as if a true supreme being slumbered within, awaiting his awakening.

“One day, I will regrow my Supreme Bone!” Little Rascal clenched his fists. He wasn’t so overwhelmed by joy as to lose his senses. He understood clearly that the Taiyi True Water alone wasn’t enough to fully restore the bone.

But he knew—one day, it would happen. Today, he had seen hope. The Supreme Bone would inevitably be reborn from its ashes, and so would he. One day, he would bathe in divine flames, transcending his past to emerge even stronger.

The Taiyi True Water was immensely potent, containing boundless divine energy—something even ancient sages had sought. Yet Little Rascal had consumed far too much, and now it had all been absorbed by the light in his chest.

His body no longer emitted radiant light. All the divine liquid had been refined, merging into his chest, where a divine furnace seemed to burn before gradually fading.

“So powerful!” In the distance, the Crimson Bird exhaled in relief. Earlier, it had been terrified—when Little Rascal’s chest had blazed, the very heavens and earth had resonated with his breath. It had been too horrifying.

Now, all was calm again. The mountaintop lay silent, Little Rascal no longer glowing.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a searing divine beam erupted once more, enveloping the peak and startling both the silver-robed youth and the Crimson Bird, who feared a repeat of the earlier spectacle.

But this time, their worries were unfounded. Little Rascal’s body shone as an eighth “volcano” manifested beside him, spewing “magma” with astonishing power.

“Did he just… break through?” Both Xiao Tian and the Crimson Bird were stunned. There had been no warning—Little Rascal had simply succeeded in opening his eighth Heavenly Passage.

Among humans, those with eight Heavenly Passages were already rare, worthy of being hailed as prodigies. And yet, Little Rascal had achieved it effortlessly.

This made Xiao Tian and the Crimson Bird suspect that this might not even be his limit. Perhaps one day, he would open a ninth?

After all, the ninth Heavenly Passage was nearly mythical, recorded only in ancient texts, its very existence doubted by many.

Little Rascal rose to his feet. Before he could even sense the differences brought by the eighth Heavenly Passage, he first noticed the transformation in his physique—it had improved dramatically, far surpassing his previous state!