Chapter 127: Greetings, Holy Child
"Holy Child!"
Yun Xi's voice was soft and clear, like spring wind brushing against the skin. It carried a sweetness that could melt even the most composed heart. Even Shi Yi, who had been calmly seated atop a tree with roots sunk deep into spiritual meditation, felt a ripple within.
"Hm?" Shi Yi glanced down, feigning casual confusion.
"If one hears the Dao in the morning, one may die in the evening without regret."
Yun Xi's smile was radiant. Her fair hands clutched the folds of her violet skirt. She looked like a rare orchid in bloom, refined and mysterious, a noble presence in the mundane world.
"You remember that line quite well."
Shi Yi didn't bother explaining its origin. Truthfully, that saying stemmed from Daoist teachings, though later borrowed by Confucianism. As with all things—Buddhism, Confucianism, myriad paths—they ultimately traced back to the Dao. The Dao was the source of all under Heaven.
"Every word spoken by the Holy Child, Yun Xi etches into her heart."
She gazed at Shi Yi with wide, hopeful eyes, clearly waiting for praise.
"There's no need for that. Just listen. If something I say proves useful, keep it. If it doesn't, forget it. No reason to hold on."
Shi Yi inwardly sighed. Fanatic devotion like this made him feel like some sly old fox tempting a naive young girl.
At this rate, he could talk her into bearing ten children for him.
"Holy Child… something smells amazing!"
Yun Xi's delicate nose twitched suddenly. Her gaze shifted to a nearby group—cultivators from the Heaven Mending Pavilion. They held stone bowls filled with steaming broth.
"Brother!" Shi Hao called out excitedly.
He'd spotted Shi Yi long ago, but hadn't expected his older brother to have picked up another woman in just a few days—and a divine beast woman at that. Could his brother's body even handle that?
The Heaven Mending Pavilion disciples all turned at Shi Hao's voice, spotting Shi Yi and Yun Xi. Though they didn't recognize Yun Xi, her aura made one thing obvious—she wasn't human.
The term "Fierce Beast" was how humans described them. But these beings never referred to themselves that way. Each race had its own name. Yun Xi, for example, hailed from the Celestial Human Tribe, a goddess by her people's reckoning.
"Greetings, Holy Child!"
The Heaven Mending Pavilion disciples quickly stood and bowed deeply to Shi Yi. Other sects might not act with such formality, but for them, this was a necessity.
Why?
Because Shi Yi was the Saint Child of the Heaven Mending Sect of the Upper Realm—its chosen successor.
Their own Heaven Mending Pavilion still practiced remnants of the Heaven Mending Art. Its senior elders still longed for recognition from the Upper Realm sect, praying to rejoin their ancestral lineage.
"What are you stewing?"
Shi Yi gestured lightly, and an unseen power lifted them from their bows. It wasn't done with force, just overwhelming spiritual pressure—several realms beyond their own.
"Brother! It's Golden Lion Head! Want some?" Shi Hao offered with gusto.
Shi Yi paused. Golden Lion Head... was that the Nine-Headed Golden Lion he'd encountered before? Shi Hao actually chopped off its head?
Shi Yi wasn't clueless.
Nor was he a voyeur.
Even though his Double Pupils—amplified by the Starry Sky Array—could pierce thousands of miles, he had no reason to spy on Shi Hao all day.
He'd watched the start of Shi Hao's battle against the Nine-Headed Lion. Once he realized the outcome was already decided, he shifted his focus.
To be honest?
Shi Yi wasn't a fan of Shi Hao's fighting style—intentionally holding back like some fictional hero waiting for a power-up. Not everyone could pull that off. Usually, it just looked like a cat toying with prey.
The bubbling broth gurgled.
Golden flames danced under the cauldron, filling the air with an intoxicating scent. The Golden Lion Head had stewed into a thick essence. The bones had softened. Divine blood had melted into radiant spiritual essence, transforming the pot into something extraordinary.
Make no mistake—
This wasn't just meat. This was a medicinal treasure.
The Nine-Headed Golden Lion's core vitality wasn't centered in its brain, but scattered across its heads, each acting as a reservoir of divine essence. Boiled down like this, it released immense spiritual power into the soup.
Four ancient spirit herbs—each over ten thousand years old—had been added, further intensifying the potency. The golden broth shimmered like sunlight, thick and bright, oozing divine fragrance.
"So good. I can't resist."
Shi Hao licked his lips, already salivating. He had no interest in romance, least of all with beast-women. If a divine beast couldn't transform into a human, it was food in his eyes.
His greatest goal was simple—surpass Shi Yi. Everything else was background noise.
"All right, it's ready," Shi Yi said quietly.
"Time to eat!"
Shi Hao eagerly ladled the thick soup into his bowl. Golden liquid surged out, scattering colorful rays like burning light.
He slurped without restraint. Broth splattered over his lips. He nearly swallowed his tongue in his excitement.
"Eat up, all of you. It's best when hot."
He filled another bowl. Thankfully, the bones had softened to nothing, or he'd have choked himself gulping like this.
"Holy Child, here."
Yun Xi handed Shi Yi a brimming bowl.
"So potent—this medicinal power is overwhelming!"
The Heaven Mending Pavilion disciples had barely taken a few sips when the divine energy surged inside them. Flames seemed to ignite from within. Divine light streamed from their pores, even their eyes and ears glowed.
They had no choice but to sit down immediately and begin refining the essence. Any more and their bodies might rupture from excess energy.
"I heard the Nine-Headed Golden Lion's head was both a delicacy and a supreme treasure medicine. Seems the stories are true."
Yun Xi sipped slowly, stealing glances at Shi Yi between each sip.
Shi Yi didn't reply. He gently blew on the broth to cool it, savoring the rich, umami taste with slow, quiet sips.
It was very good.
Half an hour passed.
"I'm full. You guys finish the rest."
Shi Hao had downed nearly half the cauldron by himself. He plopped down on the grass, belly bulging, too lazy to move.
"Junior brother, don't be idle. Use this chance to break through," said Xia Youyu, his senior sister from Heaven Mending Pavilion.
"No need," Shi Hao replied. "I'm already at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm. I can't break through further for now. I'm storing the energy in my flesh and bones, for the next leap."
He rubbed his stomach, yawned, and fell into a deep sleep with a peaceful smile.
Normally, he would never let his guard down like this. But with Shi Yi beside him, the sense of security was overwhelming, and he relaxed completely.
Time passed.
Brilliant light surged. One by one, the disciples of the Heaven Mending Pavilion achieved breakthroughs, each of them refreshed, energized, and filled with awe. Even Yun Xi's spiritual aura grew noticeably stronger.