There was a delay due to some urgent matters, so this chapter is late. I will try to get tonight’s chapter out earlier.
Shi Hao did not reveal his true identity, as the capital of the Stone Kingdom was in a tumultuous period. It had been a month since the 15th Prince's rampage in the city, and he had no knowledge of what had happened during this time, so he had to be cautious.
In particular, he had once demonstrated great prowess overseas, killing several revered ones. This was not a minor issue; if it were to be pursued, it would be a grave disaster.
If those people knew he was out in the open, they would definitely come and subdue him.
The only thing to be grateful for was that the battle overseas had caused severe losses on all sides, and the revered ones had retreated into seclusion, so they wouldn’t appear for a while.
The ancient city walls were like they were cast from metal, with a cold and glimmering sheen, resembling a colossal city left over from the era of gods and demons. It was grand and majestic, and standing before it made one feel profoundly insignificant.
The city gate tower was taller than the mountains, imposing and majestic, like a cold, ancient beast lying in wait, overseeing the people coming and going.
Shi Hao stood at the foot of the city, looking at this enormous city that had existed on the earth since ancient times. He could imagine the grandeur of the founding era and the various glories of the past.
Time flowed like water, and the city walls, now as high as the mountains, bore various marks of wear, but they remained solid and unyielding. Unless there were unexpected events, they would continue to stand until the day the dynasty collapsed.
There were many people coming and going, with various fierce beasts pulling carts, racing by. Some came from noble estates, while others were bustling merchants from various places.
The flow of people was dense, and the city was overcrowded. Every day, countless people came and went, like a continuous stream.
Although Shi Hao was born here, he did not know the place at all. He was still very young at that time, less than a year old, and had never wandered through the city.
With a complex mix of emotions, he entered the colossal city. This was a magnificent place, gathering the heroes of the Stone Kingdom, reputed to focus on the essence of the ten directions.
The city was incredibly bustling. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by endless noise. The streets were packed with people, and the scene was extraordinarily lively. The wide avenues were crowded with people.
On both sides of the roads were shops, and many people were shopping. Business was booming, with beast skins, precious bones, old medicines, and weapons everywhere.
In some grand buildings with flickering runes, fierce beasts roared, all confined in iron cages. These fierce beasts were for sale.
Clearly, these merchants had substantial backgrounds and were quite formidable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to sell such powerful creatures.
Shi Hao moved deeper into the city, following the crowd. This was the grandest city he had ever seen. He had never been to a national capital before; he grew up in the mountains and had only passed through some giant cities, none of which could compare with the capital of the Stone Kingdom.
As he went further in, the crowds dispersed on different streets, and the noise finally diminished a little, though the liveliness remained.
“Fox girls! Our store has recently acquired several fox girls, each one more beautiful than the last, truly top-notch beauties, real fox spirits. They’re incredibly enchanting, don’t miss out!”
It was a complex of buildings, like a palace, very tall and splendid, located beside the main street. A flamboyantly dressed woman was loudly advertising.
Many people gathered there, mostly men, all gazing into the palace, eager to see the fox spirits.
Shi Hao, very curious, moved closer. The fact that the merchant had even fox spirits caught his attention, indicating that the merchant was quite powerful.
“They are fox girls, but not true fox spirits. While their appearance is beautiful, they cannot be compared to the absolute beauty of fox spirits,” someone said, sounding quite knowledgeable.
“What’s the difference between a fox girl and a fox spirit?” Shi Hao asked from the side.
“A fox girl has only a small amount of fox blood, nearly diluted, with some minimal fox traits. A fox spirit, on the other hand, is a true powerful beast transformed into a humanoid form, extremely rare and always of absolute beauty.” A young man with heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking like he had overindulged in drink and pleasure, spoke with confidence.
Suddenly, these people noticed Shi Hao and, seeing his relatively young age, displayed surprise.
“Little brother, which estate are you from? Which fox girl are you interested in? Just say the word, and I will send her to your residence immediately.” The flamboyant woman said with a charming smile.
Shi Hao looked inside. Several fox girls had very fair skin, good looks, and were quite alluring, with sparkling eyes and a pair of snow-white fox ears. They looked quite unique.
“So extravagant,” Shi Hao muttered. Was this the lifestyle of the young masters of the capital? Could they just buy beautiful women like this?
The flamboyant woman, with sharp hearing, caught his words, gave him a sidelong glance, and said, “Why come over if you’re not buying? No matter, though, you probably haven’t matured yet.”
As she spoke, she laughed and gave Shi Hao a provocative touch, making the seasoned kid, who had fought with revered ones, feel embarrassed and flee in haste.
“Haha,” the crowd burst into laughter.
The provocative shopkeeper’s wife shouted loudly, “I misspoke, you’re already mature.”
Shi Hao had already started to leave but ended up coming back. Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he said earnestly, “I’ve always been someone who never gives up. I get up where I fall.”
Then, he pinched the shopkeeper’s wife’s tender face, rubbing and pulling it.
“Little brat, daring to tease me!”
“Bang!”
Shi Hao tapped her forehead with his finger, making her roll her eyes and almost faint. Shi Hao then walked away, saying, “It’s only for me to tease others.”
“Damn it!” The provocative shopkeeper’s wife yelled, and the crowd laughed.
Soon, the shopkeeper’s wife collected her smile and quickly rushed into the ancient building complex because she had heard a summons.
In a hall, there was a girl about ten years old, naturally enchanting, and could be considered a rare beauty in an ancient kingdom.
Behind her were several snow-white fox tails, shimmering and translucent. If a powerful being were here, they would surely exclaim that she was a powerful descendant of the nine-tailed fox lineage.
“Pay attention to that young man. He might be one of the future overlords of the荒域 (Wild Lands),” the enchanting girl said with a serious expression, though her eyes were mesmerizingly beautiful.
“What?” The shopkeeper’s wife was shocked.
The fox spirit was of extraordinary beauty, dressed in white, with a figure that was as graceful as ivory. She stared at a piece of jade in her hand and said, “The divine jade glowed when he appeared.”
The shopkeeper’s wife was stunned and then bowed and withdrew.
She knew what kind of terrifying power the fox girls represented. The荒域 (Wild Lands) was about to be thrown into chaos, and that organization was preparing in advance, selecting a potential overlord.
“The Wild Lands are not desolate. There are still extraordinary beings,” the girl in white muttered to herself, her arms revealing a snowy whiteness, and her eyes were like flowing water, intoxicating.
“That organization has already visited the Emperor of the Stone Kingdom. We should send our envoy as well. Although the Wild Lands are about to descend into chaos, it is still a kingdom,” the exquisite fox spirit said to herself. If someone heard this, they would surely be astonished.
Shi Hao was unaware that as soon as he entered the city, he had already been detected by a terrifying force. A mysterious fox spirit had sensed his extraordinary potential through the jade.
After walking a considerable distance, the small crystal tower in his hair trembled and transmitted a message to him, saying, "In the building area you were just in, there was a divine jade tablet."
Such words shocked Shi Hao. The small tower told him that if he could find four divine jade tablets, he would be given another opportunity to use them.
He was quite surprised. The items the tower found valuable were definitely extraordinary, and he hadn’t expected to encounter one in such a place.
Moreover, he learned from the tower that he had been detected by the divine jade tablet, which had led to an insight into his remarkable potential. The divine jade tablet had such an extraordinary function.
In response, Shi Hao used a bone script from the Primordial True Solution on himself. This was an ancient method capable of truly erasing traces of energy and preserving one's essence and spirit.
Recently, his cultivation had advanced significantly, allowing him to thoroughly understand this ancient method and its uses. Previously, he had thought it was just a very orthodox script.
The Primordial True Solution recorded many bone scripts for cultivation, some of which were very peculiar. Thorough understanding revealed various uses, but none of them were powerful magical techniques.
Shi Hao quickly fled. He was alarmed that he had only just entered the capital and had already been detected. It seemed he needed to be extremely cautious.
The capital was indeed very lively. As he walked, he saw many spiritual medicine halls displaying dozens of precious herbs, all rare spiritual materials of various types.
He then saw some treasure weapon halls, filled with powerful weapons that emitted brilliant glows.
Shi Hao wandered around without actively probing, but he gathered information from the conversations and discussions of the people around him about recent changes in the Stone Kingdom's capital.
"The beings from the ancient divine mountains are truly powerful. I heard some might be coming to the capital."
"Shh, keep your voice down. You can’t speak about these things recklessly."
"I wasn’t talking about the major ones; I was referring to the minor ones."
Throughout his journey, Shi Hao gained a lot of information. He heard that the emperor's birthday was approaching, and princes and princesses studying or training outside would be returning, as would the offspring of various noble families.
It was said that some had joined the ancient divine mountains and were also returning.
This time, the Stone Kingdom's capital would gather many influential figures, and all the elites would come to celebrate.
"All the talented individuals from various families are coming back, so there will certainly be a spectacle, especially among the nobles who are not on good terms with each other. The capital will definitely see some fierce contests among the talents."
"It’s a pity that Shi Yi isn’t here. If he were, it would be even livelier. When a person with dual pupils appears, few can compete with him."
"Not necessarily. The Stone Kingdom has many prodigies. Some talents have been cultivating outside for a long time, and a few have joined the ancient divine mountains and haven’t returned yet. Who knows how strong they are. Besides, it’s the first major birthday of the Stone Emperor, and other ancient kingdoms will also send many powerful figures to congratulate him, so it’s certain that some talents will be dispatched here. There will definitely be fierce battles and great showdowns."
"I’ve heard that there’s a spatial rift appearing at the repair heaven pavilion ruins. Shi Yi will most likely come out soon."
Shi Hao felt quite unsettled. Indeed, it was a tumultuous period. His visit to the capital was bound to witness many significant events.
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