Martial King Manor, Stone Kingdom
"Ziling, what are you saying? Old Fifteen is our brother—our blood brother. How could we stand by and watch him fall into danger?" The Martial King rose abruptly, his voice firm.
With a gentle wave of his hand, a terrifying force surged forth, lifting Shi Ziling from his kneeling position as if he were a marionette. This was the power of a Human Emperor, a Venerable Realm expert. While not enough to overturn the heavens with a gesture, it was far beyond Shi Ziling's ability to resist.
"We fifteen siblings—Old Fifteen is the youngest and the most impulsive. But when he's in peril, we can't just sit idly by," said Old Eleven, another elder of the Stone Clan, rising to his feet. He shared the closest bond with Old Fifteen, the Great Demon King, Shi Zhongtian—Shi Hao's grandfather and Shi Ziling's father.
"Thank you, Eighth Uncle, Eleventh Uncle," Shi Ziling said, bowing respectfully.
"Your Ninth Uncle and Thirteenth Uncle are overseeing Yi'er's training. An adult pureblood pixiu is no trifling foe. To ensure Old Fifteen's rescue, we'll need to rally more Venerables," the Martial King said cautiously.
"Eighth Uncle, could the Stone Kingdom's royal family lend aid?" Shi Ziling asked, curious.
Shi Ziling had learned of Shi Yi's training upon returning to Martial King Manor, unlike Qin Yining and Shi Hao, who remained unaware that Shi Yi's "disappearance" was actually a deliberate assignment to Stone Village, the Stone Clan's first ancestral land. Most in the manor believed Shi Yi had vanished; only the second generation, like Shi Ziling, knew he was training. The younger generation, like Shi Hao, remained in the dark.
"The royal family? Highly unlikely. The Stone Kingdom's Human Emperor wouldn't agree—nor would he dare openly provoke pureblood creatures. Only our allies, the Rain Clan and Demon Spirit Lake, tied to Yi'er's father, would assist," the Martial King said, shaking his head.
In the Desolate Domain, humanity had risen from its days of servitude, but openly challenging pureblood creatures was still taboo. If Martial King Manor acted, it represented only itself. If the Stone Kingdom's royal family intervened, it would implicate the entire nation, risking retaliation from the ancestors of those pureblood creatures—potentially a bloodbath.
Over the next few days, the Martial King's efforts bore fruit. Martial King Manor secured the support of the Rain Clan and Demon Spirit Lake, each dispatching two Venerables to aid Shi Zhongtian. From Martial King Manor came the Martial King and Old Eleven; from the Rain Clan, the Rain King and an elder; from Demon Spirit Lake, Shi Ziteng's master (Shi Ziling's cousin) and another elder.
Six Venerables—a formidable force on paper, more than capable of rescuing Shi Zhongtian from an adult pureblood pixiu.
Thus, Qin Yining stayed behind in Martial King Manor, as did Shi Yi's mother. Shi Ziling and his cousin Shi Ziteng were deemed sufficient for the mission. It wasn't that the Venerables dismissed women as hindrances—Shi Yi's mother was ordinary, but Qin Yining was no weakling, hailing from the Upper Realm's Ageless Mountain as a saintess. However, their goal wasn't merely rescue. If the opportunity arose, they planned to ambush the adult pixiu, seizing its treasure bone and true blood.
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Five Days Later, Martial King Manor, Rear Courtyard
The courtyard, spanning about ten acres, was an elegant retreat. At its center stood a two-story building, its upturned eaves peeking through spruce branches, evoking a sense of being lost in the clouds. Flanking the building were two delicate pavilions with ornate windows, their layered roofs exuding luxury and grace.
In front of the building lay a crescent-shaped, emerald-green pond, its surface spanning over seventy meter. Encircling the pond was a vibrant plum grove, its crimson blossoms in full bloom. The air carried a faint floral fragrance, and the surrounding grass remained lush, untouched by wilt.
At the heart of the plum grove stood a stone pavilion, carved from smooth rock, modest in size at three to four meters tall. In its center rested a wide table and chair, crafted from warm jade. The table, reminiscent of a scholar's desk, held a teapot, cups, and a few well-worn books. The jade chair, two meters long, bore intricate, hollowed-out floral carvings on its backrest. A white pillow, stuffed with rare beast feathers and meticulously woven, promised unparalleled comfort.
Shi Yi's mother, reclined on the chair. Even as Qin Yining approached, they offered no greeting, instead turning away impatiently, her back facing her guest.
"Yue Xian, don't be so sad. I heard from Ziling—Yi'er is just training…" Qin Yining's comforting words were cut short.
"What do you know?" She interrupted, her voice sharp. "Yi'er has never been one for hardship. He lived a pampered life—food served, clothes prepared. To be sent to some harsh, desolate place for three years… he must have suffered so much. It breaks my heart to think of it. He was only six!"
Yue Xian, Shi Hao's aunt, was consumed by regret. She cursed herself for agreeing to let the clan elders send Shi Yi to the first ancestral land for training. Over the years, she'd come to a realization: if Shi Yi couldn't endure hardship, she'd care for him forever. As long as she could stay by his side, she'd do anything.
Perhaps it was this unconditional doting that, in a vanished timeline, had led Shi Yi down a darker path, only awakening to his mistakes after death. Now, Shi Yi had changed, but she hadn't. She remained the mother who adored him fiercely, yearning to give him the world.
"Hao'er won't turn out like that, will he?" Qin Yining asked, her tone odd.
"Him? His resolve is firm, free of such flaws. These past years, he's won the elders' favor. Even the Stone Emperor summons him to the palace often," Rain Moon Immortal said, her voice tinged with envy.
As she noted, in the three years since Shi Yi's departure, Shi Hao had begun to shine. Though he hadn't yet revealed his Supreme Bone, his talent had earned the affection of the manor's elders. Even the Stone Emperor, a distant relative, doted on the boy. The ancestors of Martial King Manor and the Stone Kingdom's royal family were brothers, though their bloodlines had diverged beyond three generations.
It was akin to a certain blue planet's civilization, where a man named Liu Bei, the Han Emperor Zhaolie, claimed royal blood despite distant ties. The descendants of Martial King Manor were of similar stock.
Martial King Manor and the Stone Kingdom's royal family shared the same surname—Shi—and the same ancestor.
"No surprise there. That's my Hao'er, making his mother proud," Qin Yining said, a smug satisfaction bubbling within her. There was an inexplicable joy in knowing her son outshone her relative's—an unshakable, competitive pride.
"Hmph. Yi'er has double pupils, a born saint. A few flaws in his character are hardly unacceptable," Rain Moon Immortal said, sitting up straight.
"Yi'er's talent is extraordinary, no doubt. But I believe Hao'er is no less than him," Qin Yining declared confidently.
She couldn't pinpoint the source of her certainty, but she felt it in her bones: her son would never fall short of Shi Yi. My boy won't lose to his cousin.
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