"Wow, Liu Shen has awakened!" Xiao Budian exclaimed.
At that moment, many villagers stirred, their gazes fixed on the village entrance where the willow tree glowed with a green halo. Awe and tension filled the air.
The people of Stone Village, in particular, held deep reverence for Liu Shen. They worshipped the charred willow as a deity, offering sincere rituals to express their devotion. Just months ago, during a great calamity, it was Liu Shen who had relocated their village, saving it from destruction.
What astonished them most was that, aside from Xiao Budian, Liu Shen was now willingly communicating with an outsider—a first in their history!
"Senior, I seek your guidance to resolve a question that troubles me," Lin Fan said, standing humbly beneath the willow tree, his tone earnest.
"What is it?" Liu Shen's divine thought replied, her voice ethereal, neither distinctly male nor female.
"It's like this…" Lin Fan began, recounting the matter of his Supreme Bone and seeking advice on whether to remove it.
Hiss…
The villagers gasped, stunned. This young man wanted to extract his sacred bone? The notion was staggering. Wasn't possessing an extra bone, with its unique primordial runes akin to those of archaic beasts, a blessing? It was a gift that could let him dominate the world in the future.
"Madman…" Yue Chan muttered, utterly baffled by his choice.
Something that would make others green with envy, he despised? He deserves to be struck by lightning!
Village Chief Shi Yunfeng, however, remained composed, his eyes flicking to Xiao Budian, who listened quietly.
"You speak wisely. The greatest strength can also become a shackle," Liu Shen praised.
"Liu Shen, you agree I should remove the bone and let it regrow?" Lin Fan asked, his gem-like eyes sparkling with surprise and hope.
"A withered tree can bloom again, and chives regrow after being cut. Indeed, there's a chance for nirvana, to transcend your past and grow stronger. But…" Liu Shen's transmission paused, her words tinged with hesitation, as if wary of something.
"But what?" Lin Fan pressed, eager for answers. This concerned his path of cultivation. His gaze burned with sincerity. "Please, Liu Shen, tell me. I can handle anything."
"Very well. But first, I must examine your body. Do not resist during this process," Liu Shen warned solemnly.
"Alright, no problem. Go ahead, Senior," Lin Fan agreed readily, spreading his arms with a playful grin. "Do I need to strip completely?"
"No need."
The willow tree glowed, its radiance pure and divine. Its sole remaining green branch extended, touching Lin Fan's chest.
Lin Fan neither dodged nor resisted, his mind and body calm. He trusted that a being of Liu Shen's stature wouldn't harm a minor figure like him, allowing her to probe freely.
Yet, as the examination proceeded, he felt utterly exposed, as if stripped bare. Even with his thick skin, a flush crept onto his cheeks.
After a long while, Liu Shen withdrew her branch, murmuring softly, "So that's how it is."
Lin Fan snapped alert, catching the faint words. "Liu Shen, what did you find?"
"Your bone is unique," Liu Shen replied. "It seems innate, yet it isn't. If you remove it, it may not regrow."
"What?" Lin Fan's eyes widened, scratching his head in confusion. "What does that mean? Is my Supreme Bone some kind of grafted implant?"
At his words, Xiao Budian's cherubic face paled, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features, as if the phrase "bone extraction and grafting" struck a painful chord.
"That's not right. As far back as I can remember, this bone has always been part of me," Lin Fan muttered.
Born in the desolate wastelands, the first person he'd met was Ye Qingxian. But her character was such that she'd never secretly implant a bone in him. If she had access to such a treasure, she'd have kept it for herself.
"When I say it's not innate, I don't mean it was grafted," Liu Shen clarified, a trace of astonishment in her tone. "It formed within you, but it differs from the innate Supreme Bones of others."
It was extraordinary that a once-supreme being like Liu Shen would show such emotion over a mere bone—a rare occurrence.
Lin Fan's eyes darted as realization dawned. "Oh, I get it! You mean my bone grew within me later, not something I was born with."
"Precisely. A true innate Supreme Bone is a gift from the heavens, formed in the womb. Yours, while grown within you, is not quite the same," Liu Shen's voice echoed, ethereal as an immortal's.
Lin Fan froze, torn. Should he remove it or not?
If he kept it, he'd be limited to the path of physical sanctification, unable to wield offensive divine abilities, putting him at a severe disadvantage in combat. To succeed, his body would need to be as unyielding as divine metal, immune to magical forces—a nearly impossible feat.
But if he removed it, he'd lose his status as a First Generation, and the bone might never regrow.
Just then, Liu Shen spoke again. "You needn't be so conflicted. Your bone can grow and evolve once more."
"What?!" Lin Fan's eyes widened, the revelation staggering, almost unbelievable. Such a thing was unheard of.
The villagers, too, were stunned. A bone that could evolve after forming? Was this an immortal bone?
"How can I make it grow again?" Lin Fan asked, his heart pounding with anticipation.
"Haven't you already sensed it?" Liu Shen replied calmly. "To nurture its growth, you must follow your own dao. In time, the bone will develop alongside you."
Under the night breeze, her crystalline branches swayed, glinting softly.
Lin Fan fell into thought, fragments of insight flashing through his mind. His eyes lit up, as if a veil had lifted, his expression radiant with understanding.
"Thank you, Liu Shen, for your guidance. I know what to do now," he said, bowing deeply.
"No need for thanks. Observing your dao has benefited me as well. I owe you a karmic debt," Liu Shen transmitted, a faint smile in her voice.
"Huh?" Lin Fan blinked, bewildered. I'm just a Spirit Transformation Realm novice. What dao could I have that indebts a great being like her?
"Don't dwell on it. You'll understand in time," Liu Shen said gently, her voice soothing, fostering a sense of closeness. "To repay this debt, I'll impart a technique to aid you."
A tender green branch rose, touching Lin Fan's brow. Radiant light spilled forth, shimmering with an indescribable dao charm.
In that instant, the villagers glimpsed a vision: a towering willow tree, a supreme deity, receiving worship and offerings from countless divine kingdoms. The scene was vast, earth-shaking.
"What is this willow's origin?!" Yue Chan gasped, her mouth forming an "O," her delicate face etched with shock.
Even as a saintess of a great sect, she had never witnessed nor read of such a spectacle in any bone text. It defied comprehension.
"This willow was undoubtedly an immensely powerful being, far beyond the sect masters of the Lower Realm," Yue Chan surmised, her thoughts drifting to the Upper Realm.
The technique Liu Shen imparted must be extraordinary to evoke such a vision. A twinge of envy stirred within her. This guy's luck is unreal.
Even Xiao Budian piped up, "Wow, Liu Shen's teaching Brother Xiao Fan an incredible treasure technique!"
____
If you want to support me and read advanced 100+ chapters and other stories join: patreon.com/Caluem