Chapter 25: Pitiful Shi Hao, your father and mother might currently be

"The Desolate Emperor, huh? We finally meet..."

Zhu Chen raised an eyebrow, a sly smile gradually spreading across his lips.

He had come to the Cangmang Mountains with two objectives this time.

First, to claim the inheritance of this Supreme Hall.

Second, to visit Stone Village and borrow the *Original True Interpretation* for a look.

Although the villagers of Stone Village were simple and hospitable, he was coming there specifically to see the Willow Deity.

The Willow Deity was the ancestral spirit of Stone Village and held a noble status; surely those villagers wouldn't let a stranger like him approach easily.

Therefore, he needed a guide.

And he had already chosen his guide long ago—the little Shi Hao standing before him, who had come here searching for his kin!

"Haha~! It really is Zhu Yan's Nirvana! Zhu Chen, come quickly and look! After the Nirvana, Zhu Yan is all fluffy and adorable!"

Huo Ling'er's voice drifted from the collapsed desolate mountains in the distance.

Her startled cry instantly drew the attention of Shi Hao, who was rushing toward the area.

Noticing someone near the destroyed Stone Village, Shi Hao immediately rode his Azure Scale Eagle in a low-altitude sweep.

Zhu Chen also rushed over quickly.

The two arrived at Huo Ling'er's side almost simultaneously.

"Which village are you from? Why are you here?"

Shi Hao eyed Zhu Chen and Huo Ling'er with suspicion, while the Azure Scale Eagle crouched beside him, poised in a stance ready to attack at any moment.

"Oh, it's just a little brat. I thought some ancient ferocious beast had arrived!"

Seeing that the newcomer was merely a six or seven-year-old country child, Huo Ling'er let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

When the Azure Scale Eagle had flown over just now, she thought some powerful ancient beast had come to snatch the mountain treasures.

To think it was just a pet raised by a little kid!

It had truly scared her to death.

"I don't think you two are much older than me," Shi Hao muttered with a pout, feeling a bit annoyed.

He then turned his head to glance at Zhu Chen, who was standing beside Huo Ling'er. Seeing that neither of them seemed to harbor any ill intent, he turned toward the destroyed ancestral grounds of Stone Village.

He had come out specifically to leave a message for his father and mother; he couldn't let his business be delayed.

"Tch~, leaving without even explaining himself properly. What a brat," Huo Ling'er remarked. Seeing that Shi Hao had walked away without acknowledging her, she turned to Zhu Chen and asked, "Zhu Chen, the commotion from your battle with Zhu Yan was too loud. Other ancient ferocious beasts might be drawn here soon. We should leave quickly."

The exotic treasure that countless ancient beasts had been fighting over was now in their possession, and they had even picked up a Nirvana-reborn Supreme Being along the way. The harvest from this trip had far exceeded her expectations. She now only wanted to return as soon as possible to show off to her father and receive his praise.

However, Zhu Chen had other ideas.

He hadn't even visited his "big wife" in Stone Village yet; how could he possibly go back first?

"No rush. To open that bone box, we might need to rely on this little brat."

Zhu Chen walked over and gave Huo Ling'er's nose a playful flick before turning to follow Shi Hao's footsteps.

"What? That kid's cultivation might not even be as high as mine. How could he open that bone box?"

Huo Ling'er looked down at the sleeping Zhu Yan in her arms, muttered a few words, and then quickly followed.

"Little One."

After catching up to Shi Hao, Zhu Chen called him by his childhood nickname.

Shi Hao's body stiffened. He stopped in his tracks and looked back with a face full of astonishment. "You know me?"

Only the people of Stone Village knew the name "Little One." He was curious how this boy, who looked about his age, could know it.

"Yes. Not only do I know you, but I also know where your parents, Shi Ziling and Qin Yining, are," Zhu Chen said bluntly.

He disliked beating around the bush.

He would always choose the method with the highest efficiency.

And for someone like Shi Hao, treating him with honesty was undoubtedly the best approach.

"Are you telling the truth? Do you really know where my father and mother are?"

Shi Hao's tone instantly became excited, his eyes shining as he stared at Zhu Chen.

Zhu Chen did not hide anything.

He directly told Shi Hao that Shi Ziling and Qin Yining were being held under house arrest by the Qin family in Mount Bulao.

However, he said nothing about the two of them working hard to produce a second child.

He feared the current Shi Hao would not be able to withstand such a blow.

Speaking of which, this little fellow was quite a pitiful soul. It was one thing to have his bones dug out when he was young, but after his parents left him in Stone Village, they actually started "creating a new character" only a few years later.

While other cultivators were studying how to increase their cultivation and working hard to level up, his parents were busy starting over.

One must know that the higher a cultivator's level, the lower the probability of conceiving offspring.

Shi Ziling was a genius of the Shi Clan, and Qin Yining was the former Saintess of the Bulao Gods.

Their cultivation and talent were not weak even in the lower realms; the chance of a "one-shot success" was surely minuscule. They must have gone through countless trials and deep refinements to successfully create this "new character."

It was quite laughable, thinking about it.

"If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask the Willow Deity. She will tell you if I am telling the truth," Zhu Chen added after finishing his sentence.

Shi Hao had originally been skeptical of Zhu Chen's words and wanted to go back to seek verification from his Clan Leader Grandfather or the Willow Deity, but the moment he heard Zhu Chen mention "the Willow Deity," the expression on his face froze instantly.

"You... you actually know the Willow Deity?"

"Otherwise?"

Zhu Chen shrugged with a smile and continued, "To be honest, our reason for coming to the Great Desolation is to see the Willow Deity. I want to borrow your Stone Village's *Original True Interpretation* for a look. In return, I will help treat the Willow Deity's old injuries."

"You even know that the Willow Deity is injured?"

Shi Hao was stunned.

He had only recently learned about the Willow Deity's injury from the Clan Leader, Shi Yunfeng.

It was said that back then, the Willow Deity had descended upon Stone Village while bathing in a sea of lightning.

At that time, the Willow Deity was merely a lifeless, withered stump of wood.

After years of nourishment, a trace of life had gradually emerged, but even today, the deity had only grown a single willow branch.

Shi Hao was not stupid; he knew the Willow Deity must have sustained very serious injuries back then and was currently in recovery. However, because the resources in Stone Village were limited and they could not provide enough nourishment, the recovery was incredibly slow.

If this guy truly had a way to treat the Willow Deity's old injuries, perhaps he could bring them back to the village to try.

In any case, this boy and girl didn't look like bad people.

"Alright, then I'll take you to see the Willow Deity. I also happen to need to find her to verify what you just said."

At this time, Shi Hao was still quite innocent. After thinking for a brief moment, he agreed to Zhu Chen's proposal without hesitation.

At Shi Hao's invitation, Zhu Chen and Huo Ling'er also climbed onto the back of the Azure Scale Eagle. The three of them rode the eagle together toward the New Stone Village.

...

Meanwhile.

In a tribal village ten thousand miles away.

A charred, withered stump of wood seemed to sense something; the willow branch hanging toward the ground suddenly emitted a faint burst of divine radiance.

...

(End of Chapter)