Stone Country's capital was still grand and majestic. The city walls were like a magnificent mountain ridge.
"The divine formation was activated, but it was broken through." Shi Hao arrived. He stood in front of the city, silently watching for a long time.
The city wall was like black metal, flickering with ice-cold luster. It was the embodiment of symbols' power. Unfortunately, it had been destroyed before, and now, only traces of formations remained.
The city gates were wide open. People were coming and going, and the streets were packed. Many creatures were entering and leaving, and the city bustled with activity.
When he came again, Shi Hao's feelings were quite different. Back then, he came excitedly to search for his grandfather, yet in the end, he fought a great battle against the Rain Clan and Martial Imperial Manor. His name shook the capital.
Currently, undercurrents were surging within the city. The Stone Emperor was missing, and killing intent was felt everywhere within the city. The great sects of the outer regions were interfering, so it might be even more dangerous for him to reappear here.
The higher realms were ruthless. They looked down on all creatures below, killing and seizing everything with a single thought. Meanwhile, in the lower realms, the inheritances that were related to them all took action, throwing themselves over like tigers and wolves.
Shi Hao entered the city, continuing forward without stopping. His target was the imperial palace. The human emperor had disappeared, so what exactly was left behind there?
He dared to enter the city, so he naturally had confidence. In this great environment where even deities were killed, he could already be considered one of the world's most powerful individuals!
Of course, there were still dangers. It was unknown what other arrangements the higher realms had, as well as who those great outer regions sects had sent.
Before coming to Stone Capital, Shi Hao didn't care about the little pagoda's curse. He woke it up and asked for guidance. This was too important, and a lot was involved.
The only thing he was sure of was that this was a blank period. For him, it was the least dangerous. The great calamity had just retreated, and the realm gate had closed. Meanwhile, the people left behind by the great inheritances that infiltrated the wasteland region wanted to wipe out his body and spirit, but it still wasn't enough.
There were many people on the streets. Merchants and shops lined up along the roadside, and the sounds of hawking could be heard incessantly. Surging mortal energy filled the air.
"The disappearance of the Human Sovereign is only a rumor among cultivators. Ordinary people don't know about it," Shi Hao said softly. Otherwise, the capital city's atmosphere might have been incomparably tense and murderous.
He walked calmly, and in the blink of an eye, he had traveled over ten miles. Even though there were many pedestrians, and there was no lack of cultivators, no one paid attention to him. The main reason was that his strength had reached such a level. If he didn't want to draw attention, no one would recognize him when they met.
Suddenly, heaven and earth became quiet. The entire street seemed to have been separated. The pedestrians were divided into two sides, unexpectedly revealing an open space.
The people on the streets weren't aware of this as if they didn't see this scene at all.
Shi Hao stopped. Right in front of him was a woman who was from another world. She stood there calmly with intelligent light on her face. She was tall, slender, and extremely beautiful. It was as if a divine lotus was blooming. Multicolored light swirled about, releasing a holy aura in this boundless mortal world.
Fairy Yue Chan!
She appeared so soon. Not much time had passed since Shi Hao entered the city, yet she already come. She stood in the street and calmly looked at him.
For a time, neither of them spoke. This street was wide, and the pedestrians were unaware of their surroundings as they made a detour. They couldn't sense the powerful domain that was interfering with them.
In the end, only the two of them remained on the entire street. They faced each other from afar, not saying anything for a long time.
"What is the point?" Yue Chan broke the silence. Her voice was very attractive. Her beauty exceeded the ordinary, not like someone from this world at all. Her skin was fair, and her snow-white clothes fluttered about as if she was going to turn into an immortal and leave. There was transcendence within her agility, as well as divine light.
"Do you think I will be defeated? Not necessarily!" Shi Hao said calmly.
He had delicate features, and now, he had undergone a transformation during the great calamity. He became more outstanding as if an immortal had descended into this world with holy light. His clothes fluttered about, and his temperament was outstanding.
If anyone else saw this, they would definitely be shocked. This pair of men and women were so extraordinary. Both of them were untainted by the aura of the mortal world as if they were a pair of immortal companions.
"With your strength alone, can you contend against this great world?" Fairy Yue Chan spoke. Her voice was deep and moving. Her eyes were like water, and her fine black hair was bright. Her beauty was rarely seen in this world.
Shi Hao admitted that Yue Chan's appearance was indeed perfect. It was difficult to find someone comparable to her. Perhaps only the witch and the ancient gray-clothed woman could compare.
"Wrong. I should be the one asking you all. Do you want to resist this great world, make everyone under the sky your enemy?!" Shi Hao's expression was serious. He was furious and displayed his divine might.
"The great world can also be called a great power. Do you still not understand?" Yue Chan's voice was gentle. She became more and more beautiful and otherworldly. Her snow-white skin, sparkling and beautiful face made all flowers lose color.
Shi Hao didn't say anything, but his gaze became more and more intimidating. Like two streaks of lightning, it landed on her, producing a wave of muffled thunder. The void flourished with brilliance, releasing cracking sounds.
"Brother Shi, you have quite the skill. With your talents, if you take advantage of the situation, you'll soar into the nine heavens." Fairy Yue Chan smiled.
"I don't have the intention of becoming someone else's servant. If you advise me to join the Heaven Mending Sect and then ascend the heavenly gate, then forget about it!" Shi Hao said coldly.
The streets were quiet, and the people in the distance were densely packed. Traffic was heavy, yet this place was completely empty. There wasn't a third person on this enormous street. The two confronted each other, neither of them backing up.
Shi Hao knew that if anyone in this world could threaten him, then it would definitely be Fairy Yue Chan. She didn't even fear the past Shi Yi, so how could she be scared of him?
She was a talented and divine woman. Once the battle began, it would be difficult to decide who would win.
She looked light, agile, and otherworldly, but she was so powerful. She could look down on different great regions and move unhindered among her peers. It was difficult to find someone who could resist her.
"We can be considered old acquaintances. Can we talk?" Fairy Yue Chan spoke. She brushed away the beautiful hair on her forehead and stood there quietly. She was indistinct and holy.
Shi Hao didn't feel any fear and nodded.
In that instant, the streets became noisy again. Everyone was confused. Why was there such a large empty area, and why were they all walking around? Soon afterward, this place was filled with people.
Shi Hao and Fairy Yue Chan walked side by side. Both of their temperaments were outstanding as if they were a perfect pair. The man was extraordinary and otherworldly, while the woman was aloof like an immortal. Even the dust wouldn't touch her precious clothes.
"Hey, that's Shi Hao. He… came back?!" In this city, there really weren't many cultivators who didn't recognize Shi Hao because he had previously stirred up an endless storm here.
The battle of the past seemed to have happened just yesterday. If not for the fact that the great calamity had just passed, his appearance would have definitely triggered a huge commotion.
Even though that was the case, many cultivators still seemed surprised. The situation was sensitive. What would happen when Shi Hao returned? It made quite a few people's hearts pound.
Misty Rain Pavilion was a well-known ancient pavilion. It was built next to a spiritual spring with misty rain all year round.
This place was extremely special. Spiritual springs surged, rising with water vapor and surrounding this region. It could rain on its own, defying the natural laws of phenomenon.
Strands of mist drifted outward, carrying multicolored light, making the entire pavilion seem more and more divine. It was full of an extraordinary aura as if the divine realm's precious pavilion had fallen into the mortal world.
The two ascended the stairs and chose a private room. They pushed open the window, and strand after strand of spiritual essence surged, making one's mind calm down.
"Good. If this water is drunk for a long time, it can prolong one's life. It's even more beneficial for cultivators. No wonder it's called a spiritual spring." Other guests were amazed.
The great calamity had just passed. Cultivators who had the mood to come here couldn't be ordinary people.
Shi Hao and Yue Chan didn't pay him any attention. They sat opposite each other across the sandalwood table.
One could smell an orchid-like musk wafting over, mixed with one's fragrance, as well as a type of profound aura. This left Shi Hao shocked. This woman was formidable after all, and she had obtained great benefits during the great calamity.
If he couldn't restrain his aura, there would also be such a fragrance around him. This was a display of his current power.
Fairy Yue Chan's hands gently moved about. A hazy radiance scattered down, surrounding this private room, temporarily isolating it from the outside world.
"Do you understand the great calamity?"
When Shi Hao heard this, he shook his head. Even though he knew a bit, in the end, he still didn't understand everything. Neither the Willow Deity nor the little pagoda spoke about it in detail. Meanwhile, he knew that the Heaven Mending Sect definitely knew a bit about it. It had been imperishable since ancient times, so no one would believe that it wasn't related to the higher realms.
"Let's just go with the flow. This is an opportunity," Fairy Yue Chan calmly said.
Shi Hao remained silent and calmly sat there.
Suddenly, Fairy Yue Chan said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "You want to take action now? However, I'm sure that you won't be able to kill me right now. In addition, you'll immediately alarm everyone."
Shi Hao remained silent. After thinking to himself, he didn't move.
"What's the point? In the end, you'll see that what you are doing is just a futile struggle," Fairy Yue Chan said. Through the hazy splendor, she looked out the window and said, "The supreme experts and above have been captured and killed, while mortals are unharmed because they're not qualified. They're like seeds and are expected to grow. What do you think the creatures of this region look like?"
"The medicinal field theory is actually true?" Shi Hao said softly. Then, a wave of anger surged within him. If this was true, just how cruel would it be?
"That's not entirely true. The capture and killing of creatures at the supreme expert level and above was just a small reason for the great calamity, something that happened along the way. It wasn't the root cause of the calamity," Fairy Yue Chan said. Her eyes flickered with astonishing brilliance.
Shi Hao frowned and said, "What's there in this realm? They are just too unrestrained. They don't treat the creatures of the lower realm as anything important. How cruel is that?"
"If you want to know, then leave this region. Wouldn't you understand everything?" Yue Chan said.
She didn't give up and was still trying to persuade him. With such exceptional beauty by his side, ordinary people would have long felt as if they were bathing in spring winds.
Shi Hao sighed. He knew that the matters of the lower realm were formidable. What exactly was there that made them go through so much trouble? Were they trying to make him take control of Stone Country, and then listen to orders, sending the entire country out to search for it?
The two of them were both smart people. There were many things that didn't need to be said clearly to understand what they were trying to do.
"After saying so much, you still haven't seen the great power?" Fairy Yue Chan's expression remained gentle.
In the end, she thought for a bit and said, "Then let me tell you some more secrets. What do you think of the wasteland region? What about the other regions?"
"Some are like the desolate era, some have heroic spirits, while some are already unsuitable for living creatures," Shi Hao said with a frown, thinking about what she was going to say.
"Do you think these eight regions are large enough?" Yue Chan asked.
"It is boundless, corresponding to the stars in the heavens. In terms of the size alone, it might not be much smaller than the heavens above." Shi Hao pointed toward the sky above.
Yue Chan sighed, and then she laughed. Her smile was brilliant and exceptional, and even Shi Hao almost became absent-minded. She was so beautiful and divine that it made one's heart tremble.
"Let me tell you the truth about the eight regions."