Chapter 29: The Stone Village Teaches Its Disciples, Roaming the Great Wilderness

Upon hearing this voice, the Willow Deity’s heart trembled. Although her cultivation had not yet fully recovered, she was already unrivaled in this lower realm. How could there be such a person near her, completely unnoticed?

When he heard the voice from above, Little One assumed it was the Willow Deity replying and chirped happily, “Yiya! Alright, alright! Then I’ll take you as my master, but you have to give me two bowls of ferocious beast milk every day!”

Seeing the little fellow, muddle-headed and besotted with beast milk, about to acknowledge the Willow Deity as his master, Chen Xing was both amused and exasperated. With a flash, he landed beside the Willow Deity.

The moment she saw a strangely dressed, strikingly handsome young man appear at her side, the Willow Deity became instantly wary. Her body brimmed with magical power, and her eyes fixed on the newcomer with vigilance.

But Little One, who was about to bow, was dumbfounded. “Yiya! Why are there two Willow Deities?”

Ignoring the Willow Deity’s wariness and the stunned villagers of Stone Village below, Chen Xing gazed at the little boy with eyes like black gemstones, his expression overflowing with affection. It was as if he saw his beloved little sister and the mischievous little demon from his own childhood—how could he bear to let him live a lifetime of loneliness?

In this moment, Chen Xing forgot everything—rules of the Dao, the workings of the great path—all deliberately set aside. In his heart, those beside him could never be harmed. Simply because—he would not allow it.

In that instant, Chen Xing failed to notice that his own Dao heart had once more advanced a step towards perfection...

“Little one, if you want beast milk, you’ll have to take me as your master,” Chen Xing said with a wink, his tone filled with laughter.

Hearing that he could have beast milk if he called Chen Xing his master, Little One immediately turned, knelt before him, knocked his head on the ground three times, and shouted gleefully, “Disciple greets Master!”

Stone Yunfeng, the old village chief, wanted to intervene but was too late; seeing Little One had already acknowledged his master, he could only shake his head with a helpless, wry smile and say nothing more.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” Chen Xing laughed heartily at having taken Little One as his disciple, scooping him up into his arms and speaking gently, “You are my first disciple. From now on, your worth is beyond measure. No one will ever let you feel sorrow or loneliness again. With your master here, all will be well.”

Little One only half understood, but stretched out his tiny hand and asked, “Yiya! Master, where’s the beast milk?”

Chen Xing was caught off guard, then burst out laughing. “Alright, alright, Master will get you some beast milk.” With a wave of his hand, several female creatures appeared before the crowd: a golden dragon, a fire phoenix, and a white tiger, all in their nursing period.

With a roar, the three primeval beasts appeared, their wild bellows seemingly able to shatter the heavens.

The Willow Deity and the people of Stone Village were instantly stupefied—these were a true dragon, a true phoenix, and a white tiger! Such divine beasts were only legends in this world; none had ever seen their true forms. Even the Willow Deity, as an ancestral spirit who had lived since before the age of immortals, had only seen impure-blooded remnants among the Ten Ferocities, never a true one.

These primeval beasts had been specially captured by Chen Xing before his arrival and placed in the Realm of Emotion. He knew well Little One’s greatest love; to win him as a disciple, he had to cater to his tastes.

As Chen Xing stood before her, the Willow Deity was shaken to the core. Who was this man? Though the divine beasts’ cultivation was not too high, their blood was incomparably pure, and he could capture them alive—this was truly shocking.

After receiving a Yellow Middle Plum from Chen Xing, the Willow Deity’s cultivation had been restored to the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, equivalent to a True Immortal in this realm—just one major boundary from her peak. Yet she still could not see through Chen Xing’s cultivation.

The villagers of Stone Village were already kneeling in terror. Though they could hunt giant beasts and face vicious kings in the desolate wilderness, before these pure-blooded divine beasts, their hearts trembled and they could not even muster the will to fight.

When Chen Xing conjured the female beasts, Little One’s eyes sparkled. “Yiya!” he cried, leaping from Chen Xing’s arms and hugging the golden dragon’s horn.

The golden dragon, just released from the Realm of Emotion and still venting its frustration with a roar, suddenly saw a small figure pounce onto its forehead. Enraged, it opened its mouth to swallow the child, but was seized by a sudden chill. Turning, it found the young man who had captured it staring coldly. Knowing his terrifying power, the dragon immediately prostrated itself and trembled, not daring to move even as Little One climbed onto its head. The fire phoenix and white tiger also knelt in submission, afraid to stir.

“That’s enough. Just serve my beloved disciple well, and in the future, you will be granted fortune. When I return to the Great Wilderness, you may become people of my Mount Fangzhang.”

Though they did not know what sort of power Mount Fangzhang was, the beasts knew Chen Xing’s strength ranked among the greatest of the Great Wilderness. Overjoyed, they kowtowed. “Thank you, senior! We will obey your command!”

As they spoke, the three divine beasts’ forms faded and were replaced by three middle-aged women, who saluted Chen Xing and stood quietly behind him.

Seeing this, Little One’s face fell, and he muttered, “The beast milk is gone. How pitiful I am! Yiya!” His voice was small, but Chen Xing heard him and couldn’t help but laugh. Was this really the future Desolate Heaven Emperor, solitary ruler of endless ages? Truly deserving of the title “brat.”

The woman formed from the golden dragon rushed over and picked up Little One. “Don’t worry, young master. As long as you want milk, we will provide it.”

Little One’s eyes sparkled. He nodded vigorously. “Thank you, auntie.”

Seeing his disciple so delighted, Chen Xing felt gratified and asked, “What are your names?”

They quickly responded. The golden dragon was Jin Ling, the fire phoenix was Huo Yun, and the white tiger was Bai Ke. Chen Xing nodded and said, “From now on, you are responsible for caring for Little One. If you do well, you may bring your descendants into Mount Fangzhang upon our return.”

Overjoyed, the three women knelt and swore, “Thank you, senior! We will protect the young master with our lives.” In the Great Wilderness, creatures like them, abandoned by their clans, would struggle to survive without a powerful protector. Chen Xing’s promise filled them with wild delight.

Only now did Chen Xing turn to the Willow Deity. “Your injuries have somewhat healed; from here, you must rely on yourself.”

Realizing that this was the benefactor who had aided her recovery, the Willow Deity bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, senior, for your help.”

Suddenly, Chen Xing’s expression changed, and he regarded the Willow Deity with curiosity. “I wonder—are you male or female?” This question had been debated endlessly on Earth, with countless theories and no definitive answer. The infamous author had never revealed the truth. Chen Xing, curious as anyone, now wished to find out.

Hearing this unexpected question, the Willow Deity’s breathtaking face showed rare confusion. This peerlessly powerful senior was asking such a childish thing? For millions of years, she had pursued the Dao with single-minded focus and never considered gender. Even upon taking human form, she had never settled her sex. Yet Chen Xing’s question stirred an unfamiliar ripple in her heart.

When the Willow Deity did not answer, Chen Xing felt a bit awkward and changed the subject, addressing the villagers below. “Today, I have accepted my first disciple, a cause for celebration. Since fate has brought me here, I offer this wine—prepare some food, and let us celebrate together!”

With that, he produced a jade bottle about a foot tall. Though small, it was a spatial treasure Chen Xing had acquired in the Great Wilderness, now used to store wine. The drink inside was no ordinary vintage, but a fine spirit he had brewed himself using flat peaches, rare herbs, and two Yellow Middle Plums—truly a peerless elixir.

He tossed the bottle to the old village chief, Shi Zhengfeng, who fumbled to catch it and bowed. “Yes, senior.” Though he did not know Chen Xing’s true identity, since he was Little One’s master and even the ancestral spirit treated him respectfully, his origins must be unfathomable. Now that he had come to Stone Village, they must treat him with all due respect.

The old chief turned to summon the villagers to prepare a feast and left.

After the villagers departed, Chen Xing suddenly heard a childish voice at his ear. “Master, what is the Great Wilderness? And what is Mount Fangzhang?”

Turning, he saw Little One gazing up at him, his dark eyes wide with curiosity—a picture of innocence. It turned out he had overheard Chen Xing’s conversation with Jin Ling and the others and was now full of questions.

Chen Xing smiled warmly. “That is my home. One day, I will take you there.” As he spoke, he gently picked Little One up from Jin Ling’s arms and patted his head affectionately.

“Oh!” Satisfied with the answer, Little One nestled quietly in Chen Xing’s embrace, saying no more, though his gaze occasionally drifted toward Jin Ling and the others, wondering silently: Where did the beast milk go? Did the aunties hide it...

Chen Xing turned to the Willow Deity. “Since we have leisure, why not share a drink? I believe this wine will help you recover your strength.”

Without hesitation, the Willow Deity agreed. With Chen Xing’s status, he would not offer anything without reason. The sooner she recovered her cultivation, the better prepared she would be for the calamities to come...

...

In the great wilderness, countless ferocious beasts rampaged across the land. Those of shallow cultivation who wandered within met only destruction.

Within a small grove, a child of five or six was roasting a chunk of beast meat over a fire, grumbling, “Master is really something—sending me out to train and not even letting me bring food. Doesn’t he worry his precious disciple will starve?”

From a shadowy corner, Jin Ling heard the little one’s complaint and could only shake her head helplessly, choosing not to interfere.

This child, of course, was the future Desolate Heaven Emperor—Shi Hao in his youth.