Under the sunlight, the entire imperial palace glowed with a faint golden hue. The arrival of countless people resembled a pilgrimage. The grand architectural complex stood tall under the sky, vast and boundless.
Upon arriving, the great powers had officially entered the forbidden land of the Stone Kingdom, feeling an ancient and weathered aura. It was a witness to the times, a splendid crystallization of history.
The once-great powers ignited divine flames, founded an ancient kingdom, and held dominion over countless lands. After countless ages, these grand and majestic architectural ruins recorded the events of that time.
"At a certain level of cultivation, sometimes a single法相 (manifestation) can hold up the heavens. The palace is so large; was it because the greatest powers of the past feared there wouldn't be enough room?" Stone Hao guessed randomly.
There were not just one but multiple buildings. All the palaces were boundlessly vast, like mountains standing one after another, making one feel small in their presence.
Streams flowed gently, with fountains and rivers running through the entire palace along both sides of the central avenue. The scenery was beautiful, with fish, shrimp, and even dragons occasionally appearing in the water.
There were not just a few dragons but many, ranging from dozens of meters to over a hundred meters long, with large bodies, shimmering scales, dragon whiskers, and sparkling horns, making them look mystical.
Everyone was stunned. While others kept ornamental fish in water, the Stone Kingdom's palace housed dragons and other creatures, which was astonishing—such a difference between heaven and earth.
"Look, there's a white turtle as well. It's said that when the turtle's shell turns white, it is an auspicious sign, symbolizing an extraordinary lifespan. It's a rare and precious medicinal treasure," someone exclaimed.
People marveled at the rare creatures seen in the water. Apart from the dragons and the white turtle, they also saw red lotuses, burning with a fiery red, growing in clusters, with their blossoms exuding a fragrant aroma.
"This is too extravagant," people were amazed and stunned.
The red lotus was known as a famous elixir, but here, there were so many of them, becoming ornamental scenery that made many people salivate.
"This isn't wasteful. The palace also harvests medicinal herbs from the water," a noble explained, clearly familiar with the palace.
In the sky, there were pleasant sounds of chirping. Some colorful phoenixes flew by, their long feathers and bright wings circling above the palace, filling the air with a peaceful atmosphere.
Everyone was impressed. Every scene in the palace was so magnificent. It was an ancient relic, yet it was content to remain here, reflecting the profound and powerful heritage of the Stone Clan.
In the palace city, there were naturally ancient trees, some thousands of years old or even older, with branches and leaves flourishing, and their forms resembling dragons stretching toward the sky.
Many people had arrived, including leaders of sects, nobles, powerful cultivators, and pure-blooded beings from the ancient divine mountains, all with significant backgrounds.
Passing through the massive archway, everyone arrived at the front of the central heavenly palace. Here, there was a layer of white clouds on the ground, constantly swirling, but only reaching up to people's knees.
This was the final destination where the Emperor's longevity celebration was to take place.
One could see various beings entering the heavenly palace, exuding astonishing auras that were intimidating, such as golden birds several meters long and giants over twenty meters tall.
"Are those beings from the ancient divine mountains?" People were astonished, as only such esteemed guests could enter the central heavenly palace and sit with the Stone Emperor.
Others could only stay outside in the plaza, which had already been filled with jade tables and chairs. The swirling white mist made the place look like a heavenly realm.
The longevity feast could not start yet; it was still too early.
Many people gathered to chat and greet each other. This was a good opportunity to network and meet some prominent figures. Although they were originally arranged in a rest hall, people did not go there.
For a while, the place was crowded, with many powerful figures laughing heartily, gathering in small groups, discussing topics of mutual interest.
Stone Hao wandered around. Although he did not recognize most people, many gave him strange looks, whispering and pointing.
There was no doubt that he was now a well-known figure. After the Battle of the Imperial Capital, he had attracted attention from all sides.
Here, Stone Hao also saw some familiar faces, such as those from the Martial King’s residence, some nobles, and the notable figures he had met in the Qinglin Garden.
He greeted them warmly, showing no signs of restraint. As long as he recognized them, he would surely exchange a few words. For example, when he saw someone from the Rain Clan, he went over, patted them on the shoulder, and was very friendly, almost hugging them.
Rain Feng’s face turned ashen, but he dared not move. He had once had conflicts with Stone Hao at the Sky Repair Pavilion’s talent camp and had been killed by him in the Void God Realm. He had only recently recovered in the real world after a long time.
People looked on with strange expressions. How could these two end up together?
For Rain Feng, it was indeed tormenting to be so close to this brutal child. If his strength were sufficient, he would have wanted to slap Stone Hao to death.
Finally, the troublesome child saw Stone Zite and immediately abandoned Rain Feng, walking forward to ask how his uncle was injured and if it was serious.
Stone Zite had an expressionless face and turned to leave.
"Hey, isn’t that someone from the Tuo Ba family? You’ve come as well. How have you been? I’ve missed you a lot." Stone Hao approached the Tuo Ba family members warmly.
These people’s faces turned dark. They had been severely deceived in the Void God Realm, with their entire sacred land uprooted and flattened, and important clan members killed by soul-destroying needles. They held a deep grudge against this troublesome child.
Everywhere Stone Hao went, people’s faces grew darker and more unpleasant. Was he trying to attract hatred, deliberately seeking out those he had previously clashed with?
"Hey, you are the renowned Young Master Chiyun from the Void God Realm, aren’t you? We’ve met before. I think I accidentally killed a lot of people back then. Were you alright?"
Stone Hao was completely unrestrained, hitting his enemies’ sore spots. Young Master Chiyun was a young powerhouse from one of the four great families and had naturally clashed with Stone Hao.
These people naturally held great grudges against Stone Hao, which were hard to resolve. Stone Hao did not expect to get along with them; it was already a life-and-death opposition.
Since he was in the imperial capital, he wanted to make a big scene. He didn’t mind provoking everyone and then subduing them all.
A group of people was infuriated but dared not act out. This was the Stone Kingdom’s imperial palace. Who would dare to be reckless? Only the thick-skinned child was so bold, challenging everyone.
Finally, he walked away because he saw a real acquaintance.
At the archway, many people were crowding around a young woman, like stars surrounding the moon. She was taller than most women, dressed in fire-red attire that accentuated her curves. Her beautiful face, snow-white neck, full chest, slender waist, and long, beautiful legs made her figure perfect.
People from the Stone Kingdom palace went to greet her, clearly marking her as a distinguished guest.
"The Princess of the Fire Nation represents the Fire Emperor to congratulate the Stone Emperor, wishing him eternal immortality, everlasting glory, and longevity equal to the heavens," someone announced loudly.
Everyone was surprised. This was another emissary sent by a human emperor to celebrate.
"Fatty!" Stone Hao waved from afar, calling out warmly.
Fire Ling’er was initially very happy and excited. Surrounded by a group of people, she was like a goddess in the sky, encircled by these distinguished figures, with her as the center.
The call of "Fatty" made Fire Ling’er feel a bit familiar, but her expression changed completely when she saw Stone Hao approaching and waving at him.
She gritted her teeth. After more than two years of not seeing this troublemaker, he was still the same, still calling her Fatty. It was infuriating—unbearable, really.
With a swoosh, the young and handsome figures blocking her way quickly stepped aside. They knew well the ferocity of this ruthless young man and did not want to provoke him.
Seeing Fire Ling’er’s anger, Stone Hao immediately stopped calling her Fatty and said, “Junior Sister, it’s been over two years. You’re looking more beautiful, and the places that should be plump are even plumper.”
The first half of the sentence pleased Fire Ling’er, but the latter part was unacceptable.
“So you went to the North Sea in the past two years?” Fire Ling’er’s veins on her white forehead throbbed as she struggled to contain her anger.
“Thanks for your concern, Junior Sister. I was tricked by some unscrupulous people and lured to the North Sea, where I ate salted fish for over two years. It was maddening,” Stone Hao said, his gaze shifting to a group of people in the distance, and he was momentarily stunned.
Those people had actually come—descendants of the ancient divine mountains.
“Are you alright?” Fire Ling’er asked with concern. She had heard some rumors about the North Sea battle being extremely brutal, with some revered figures falling. The fact that this troublemaker had dared to go there was incredibly audacious.
She had heard some rumors suggesting that Stone Hao was extremely ferocious, having killed several revered figures’ spiritual bodies, and ultimately died in the Kunpeng’s nest. Although there were later reports of his return, she had still been worried for a while.
“What could have happened to me? Even though I ate a lot of salted fish, I occasionally had a taste of the pure-blooded divine meat from the ancient divine mountains. It was quite delicious,” Stone Hao said.
The people around him were stunned. The fact that he had killed pure-blooded beings was shocking.
“I’ll see you later. For now, I need to represent my father and congratulate the Stone Emperor,” Fire Ling’er said, guided by palace attendants, and walked forward.
At that moment, a small creature in her arms woke up, let out a howl, and quickly jumped onto Stone Hao.
“You...” Fire Ling’er was furious. After all these years, the little deity hadn’t forgotten this guy. She did not stop it and temporarily left the little wolf behind, heading towards the central heavenly palace.
“Not bad. I was just thinking you might have become an ungrateful wolf and forgotten me,” Stone Hao said with a smile, looking closely. He noticed that the little wolf had not changed in size but now emitted an extremely powerful divine energy.
Unfortunately, no matter how he explored, he couldn’t find any runes, which puzzled him. What was wrong with this little deity?
Not far away, a group of beings approached, drawing many surprised glances from the crowd. They were all young, with both males and females, each remarkable in appearance and extraordinary in their demeanor.
There were more than a dozen of them. Some wore resplendent feathered robes, others dazzling armor, and some elegant long dresses. The males were handsome, and the females were charming and striking.
“They are beings from the ancient divine mountains. This is a group of formidable youths. If nothing unexpected happens, they will likely lead the wasteland in the future,” even a nobleman gasped in amazement.
“Are you Stone Hao, also known as the most ferocious young man?” someone asked as they approached, with an unfriendly tone.
“That’s me. Do you have something to discuss with me?” Stone Hao asked nonchalantly, his gaze briefly sweeping over the group before settling on the purple-clad young woman with a moon-like beauty, Yun Xi.
Last night he stayed up late, and he was also late throughout the day, but he would continue to work hard. There will be updates at midnight. Please c
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