Chapter 36: It Is No Shame for a Child to Drink Milk

"Spirit Willow, what do you think of this Great Five Elements Art?"

Upon returning to Stone Village, Shi Jian immediately imparted the Great Five Elements Art to the Spirit Willow. The willow seemed to be contemplating the profound mysteries of the technique, remaining silent for a long moment. Finally, it sighed with deep emotion.

"It is inferior to none of the Ten Fiend Treasured Techniques," the willow remarked with admiration.

The Great Five Elements Art was indeed extraordinary, and the profound essence of the five elements contained within it left even the willow in awe. In particular, the portion concerning the Green Emperor Wood Emperor Scripture—a wood-attributed cultivation method—resonated perfectly with the Spirit Willow. The Scripture’s power to revitalize life was exactly what the willow, currently seeking to emerge from destruction into rebirth, needed most. With this, the Spirit Willow was confident that it could recover some of its lost memories and strength in a short period.

"I am glad it helps you. Recover your strength quickly; I may need your assistance in the future," Shi Jian said, openly admitting his need for the willow’s protection.

"Very well," the Spirit Willow replied directly. A silent understanding was established between them.

Subsequently, Shi Jian recounted everything that had occurred within the Void God Realm. The Spirit Willow fell into another silence upon hearing his tale. Repeatedly breaking records in the Void God Realm? What kind of unconventional strategy was that? The willow’s gaze, fixed upon Shi Jian, held a hint of peculiarity. This child was not only mysterious but also quite shameless. However, the path of cultivation often required such a shameless spirit.

"The origins of the Void God Realm are mysterious, and the opening of the Heavenly Battlefield will surely bring you great benefits in the future. This is a good thing for you," the Spirit Willow advised after a pause.

Although Shi Jian had missed out on dozens of rewards by repeatedly breaking records, those rewards were not lost; they had simply been transformed into hidden, accumulated benefits. Opening the Heavenly Battlefield meant that Shi Jian would surely reap immense rewards whenever he entered in the future. He had not suffered a loss.

After discerning the Spirit Willow's attitude toward the opening of the Heavenly Battlefield, Shi Jian breathed a sigh of relief. He then brought up the matter of the Kunpeng God’s Burial.

"I have information regarding the nest of the Primordial Kunpeng, which contains the Kunpeng Treasured Technique..." Shi Jian explained the encounter with the old man from the Mountain of God.

He remained highly vigilant against the Mountain of God. Circumstances dictated that the strong were superior, and while his talent was terrifyingly high, he had yet to fully grow into his power. He was certainly no match for the elders of the Mountain of God. That old man spoke with honeyed words, but he would surely strike without hesitation when the time came. Shi Jian dared not entrust his life to the man's moral integrity. Such matters were unreliable, even with oaths. However, if the Spirit Willow were to accompany him, he would have nothing to fear. It was they who should be worried.

Shi Jian had considered waiting for Shi Hao to grow up before letting him retrieve the Kunpeng Treasured Technique, but that would take many years at the very least. The Kunpeng Treasured Technique was the ultimate secret skill of the Kunpeng clan; it could manifest both the Kun and the Peng forms, mastering the exquisite evolution of Yin and Yang. It contained the boundless power of the ocean and the forces of the sun and moon, possessing both overwhelming offensive capabilities and the supreme speed of the Kunpeng. Such extreme, high-speed ultimate techniques were exactly what he lacked. Shi Jian wanted to get his hands on it as soon as possible, as it would vastly increase his ability to survive.

"Kunpeng..." The Spirit Willow was surprised once more. He had just obtained the peerless divine ability of the Great Five Elements Art, and now he had information on the Kunpeng Treasured Technique. Had it been dormant for so long that it had fallen out of touch with the times? How had these Ten Fiend-level techniques become so common?

"Kunpeng, a peerless powerhouse who fell in the endless ages past. It is a pity that its greatest divine ability was lost, yet to think you have obtained information regarding it!" The Spirit Willow’s voice was filled with emotion. It took root in the void, its scorched trunk towering into the heavens, and its willow branches swayed, revealing the unrest in its heart. To the willow, the Kunpeng was something of an old acquaintance.

"If the Kunpeng Treasured Technique truly exists, then you must strive for it!" the Spirit Willow affirmed without hesitation. There was a high probability that the place where the Kunpeng fell contained the technique. Such a peerless divine ability, if placed before one, was worth fighting for, even if there were only a one percent chance. It was, after all, the Kunpeng Treasured Technique—it was even useful to the willow.

"The beings of the Primordial Mountain of God are not kind. Within the secret realm, I am confident in suppressing all enemies, but once I leave, I fear being suppressed by their powerful masters," Shi Jian stated his concerns. Entering the Kunpeng God’s Burial had cultivation limits; those of higher realms could not enter. He was confident in suppressing everyone of lower cultivation, but he would be helpless once he left the secret realm. The Primordial Mountain of God was full of Venerables. If those beings were to act shamelessly against him, he would have no choice but to flee to another world. Therefore, he had to seek the help of the Spirit Willow.

"I will help you," the Spirit Willow said confidently. It estimated that it would take Shi Jian at least a year or two to break through to the tenth Heavenly Passage. That was enough time for it to recover to an extremely powerful state. When that time came, the mere Mountain of God could be suppressed with a flick of its branches.

"Good!" A smile appeared on Shi Jian's face upon receiving the promise. After this, he had established a deeper connection with the Spirit Willow. He had truly found a powerful backer.

"Then I shall go and cultivate to break through to the Heavenly Passage realm!" Having achieved his goal, Shi Jian took his leave. The Spirit Willow waved its branches in response.

Shi Jian left the willow tree and returned to Stone Village.

"Little Shi, you're back?" The villagers were surprised to see him. "Your body was motionless, your spirit absent; we thought your soul had left your body or something had gone wrong. But the old village chief told us you went to a place called the Void God Realm to cultivate. What kind of place is that?"

"With the Spirit Willow watching over me, I am perfectly fine. I was merely wandering the Great Void," Shi Jian replied.

"Wandering the Great Void? What does that feel like? What kind of place is the Void God Realm?" The villagers were curious. The old village chief also walked over, ears perked, waiting for an answer. He had heard rumors of the Void God Realm when he had traveled the Great Wilderness years ago, but he had never been there himself and was very intrigued. The Little One and the other children crowded around, chattering and asking Shi Jian to tell them about his experiences.

Shi Jian smiled and shared a portion of his experiences in the Void God Realm.

"Little Shi is truly amazing! He actually broke the records of the Void God Realm. Even the disciples of those great clans and sects outside cannot compare to him!"

"Brother Little Shi is so cool! I want to enter the Void God Realm and cultivate just like him when I grow up..."

Adults and children alike were filled with wonder. "Record-breaking! Record-breaking!" the Little One shouted with shining eyes.

"Hahaha, Little One, you haven't even been weaned yet, and you want to follow your brother and break records? Wean yourself first..." the villagers teased. The Little One hugged his milk jar tightly.

Seeing him like this, the crowd laughed again: "Little One, you’ve already broken a record—the record for the latest weaning in Stone Village history!"

"We should build a monument at the village entrance like they do in the Void God Realm and write the Little One’s weaning record on it!"

"Hahaha..." The laughter rang out, and the entire village was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Only the Little One held his milk jar, muttering something incomprehensible about how "a child drinking milk isn't a shame; it's what a child should do," which only sent the surrounding people into another fit of laughter.