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Shi Hao slowly loosened his grip on King Wu's neck.

He is not a bloodthirsty person; he has returned today to seek justice and to kill the ringleader.

While it is certainly hateful that King Wu, as the ruler of the prefecture, condoned and protected such behavior, his crime did not warrant the extermination of his entire clan.

Moreover, now that the Stone Emperor has personally intervened to mediate, he has offered a relatively fair solution from the perspective of the greater good of the human race and the stability of the Stone Kingdom.

This plan was exactly what he wanted.

What he wanted was never to launch a sneak attack from the shadows, nor to implicate the innocent.

He wanted to defeat Shi Yi himself on the battlefield, under the watchful eyes of everyone, and reclaim his dignity and everything that belonged to him!
This is more meaningful and more thorough than simply killing a disgraced King Wu.

After Shi Hao released his grip, King Wu collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Shi Hao ignored him and instead looked up at the Emperor, cupping his fists and saying, "Since Your Majesty has spoken, Shi Hao will naturally comply. My battle with Shi Yi is inevitable. So, as Your Majesty has said, we will choose a day to fight and settle all grudges in front of the world!"

His voice was strong and clear, filled with absolute confidence and unwavering determination.

A barely perceptible sound of approval seemed to come from mid-air.

Immediately, the Stone Emperor's voice rang out again: "Excellent! Shi Hao has returned home. He is exceptionally talented, brave, and righteous, and knows when to advance and retreat. From this day forward, I hereby confer upon Shi Hao the title of 'Marquis of Desolate Heaven' of my Stone Kingdom, granting him the honors of a king. We will make a final decision after the outcome of his duel with Marquis Wushuang, Shi Yi!"

"Wilderness Weather"!
This title was like another thunderclap, exploding in everyone's hearts.

How many years has it been since the Shi Kingdom's capital officially appointed a new king or marquis?
Especially for marquises whose titles included "Heaven," the significance was extraordinary!
This not only acknowledges Shi Hao's strength and status, but also sends a clear signal to the outside world, especially to the Rain Clan and the Demon Spirit Lake behind them.

Shi Hao is recognized and protected by the royal family of the Shi Kingdom!
Upon hearing this, King Wu and the surviving elders of the King Wu's Mansion turned even more ashen-faced.

The emperor's actions effectively deprived them of any chance to stir up trouble again.

This also clarified Shi Hao's extraordinary status in the Shi Kingdom.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Shi Hao readily accepted the Stone Emperor's proposal and bowed to the void once more.

The Stone Emperor nodded slightly, then turned and left.

King Wu and his entourage felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They dared not linger, nor even glance at Shi Hao and Shi Zhongtian. They hurriedly led the injured elders and the remaining guards, their faces covered in dust, and hastily left the now-ruined martial arts arena, retreating deep into their mansion.

The other members of the Martial King's Mansion who had been watching also dispersed, but as they left, their gazes toward Shi Hao were filled with awe and complexity.

The infant who was once considered a good-for-nothing and almost forgotten has now returned with such a powerful presence, being granted titles and honors, and even the Emperor himself has personally intervened...

It seems that the situation in Prince Wu's mansion is about to change completely.

Soon, only Shi Hao and his grandson Shi Zhongtian remained in the vast venue.

Looking at his tall and upright grandson, Shi Zhongtian was filled with emotion and had a thousand questions to ask.

He pulled Shi Hao to a still intact stone step and sat down, his rough hands gripping Shi Hao's tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, his grandson, whom he had lost and found again, would disappear again.

"Hao'er...you've suffered so much these past years. Tell Grandpa, how did you survive? And how did you...become so strong? Grandpa thought, I thought you..."

As Shi Zhongtian finished speaking, his tiger-like eyes reddened once more.

Shi Hao grasped Shi Zhongtian's calloused hand in return, a comforting smile on his face: "Grandpa, don't be sad. I'm lucky. I didn't die after my bones were dug out. My parents just sent me to Shi Village, the ancestral home of Shi Kingdom, to recover."

"Ishimura?"

Shi Zhongtian was taken aback, then suddenly realized, a look of reminiscence and relief flashing in his eyes: "Our Shi clan's ancestral land, is it... alright there?"

"Ah."

Shi Hao nodded vigorously and continued, "The uncles and aunts in the village all treated me very well and raised me like their own child. Although life was a bit hard, it was very warm. I grew up drinking animal milk and running around the mountains and fields with the village children."

He omitted the hardships and dangers involved, only recounting the lighthearted and pleasant aspects, not wanting his grandfather to worry too much.

"And then what? Where did you learn all these skills from...?" Shi Zhongtian continued to press.

This is what he cares about most.

The strength Shi Hao just displayed completely overturned his understanding.

He caught the Rain King's precious technique with his bare hands, instantly killed the Rain King at the peak of the Array Formation Realm, and imprisoned the Martial King...

This is something that no ordinary person could do!
Moreover, Shi Hao's current cultivation level is only at the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Shi Hao knew he couldn't hide this from him, nor did he want to hide it from his dearest grandfather, so he carefully said, "I have some talent in cultivation and have had some fortuitous encounters. Most importantly... I have made a group of loyal brothers outside and have also recognized an elder brother."

When the words "brother" and "elder brother" were mentioned, Shi Hao's eyes lit up, and his tone was filled with heartfelt respect and closeness.

"Oh? Brother? Big brother?"

Shi Zhongtian became interested. His prodigious grandson praised them so highly, even attributing their extraordinary abilities to them.

It seems that those people are no ordinary individuals!
"My brothers come from all over the country and have different personalities, but they are all loyal, righteous, and exceptionally talented. We support each other, train together, and grow stronger in life-and-death battles. As for my eldest brother..."

At this point, Shi Hao couldn't help but show a look of admiration on his face.

He took a deep breath before continuing, "His name is Zhu Chen. He gave me many crucial pointers on my cultivation path, and he also passed on some complete Ten Fierce Treasure Techniques to me."

"What? The Ten Ferocious Techniques?"

Even though Shi Zhongtian was mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but gasp when he heard those four words, and almost jumped up from the stone steps!
The Ten Fierce Treasure Techniques are legendary invincible techniques, unseen by any cultivator in the entire Eight Regions.

I never expected my grandson to have learned it!

And it's intact!
"Zhu Chen... Zhu Chen..."

Shi Zhongtian murmured the name, racking his brains, but couldn't recall any major power or reclusive master in the desolate region or even the surrounding areas who had this name.

"Hao'er, just who is your elder brother? Could he be a descendant of some immortal lineage from the Upper Realm?"

Shi Zhongtian continued to ask.

Shi Hao shook his head: "No, my elder brother is not from the Upper Realm, at least not initially. He was once the Human Emperor of the Fire Kingdom."

"The Emperor of the Fire Kingdom?"

Shi Zhongtian was so shocked that he stood up, his eyes wide open.

The Fire Kingdom is adjacent to the Stone Kingdom, so he naturally knows about the Fire Kingdom, but he also knows that the Fire Kingdom's foundation is absolutely not capable of possessing a legacy of the level of the Ten Fierce Treasures!

Even the strongest human emperor is limited by resources and inheritance in the lower realm. How could he casually take out the Ten Fierce Treasures and teach them to others?

"Grandpa, don't worry."

Shi Hao helped his excited grandfather up and patiently explained, "Brother Zhu Chen's situation is rather special. Although he is the Human Emperor of the Fire Kingdom, his origins are mysterious and his cultivation is unfathomable, far surpassing that of ordinary Human Emperors. When he guided my cultivation, he often pointed directly to the essence of the Great Dao, which enlightened me. He also taught me precious techniques because of chance and friendship. Now he has left the lower realm and gone to the upper realm."

"I see……"

Shi Zhongtian slowly sat back down on the stone steps, but his heart was still filled with turmoil.

A former human emperor who could easily wield the Ten Fierce Treasures, his cultivation was unfathomable, and now he had gone to the Upper Realm... This "elder brother" that my grandson met probably has a tremendous background and secrets!

However, judging from the trust and respect Hao'er showed when he mentioned him, the other party must have treated Hao'er very well as well.

"Good, good! Hao'er, it's your blessing and your good fortune to have met such an elder brother!"

Shi Zhongtian patted Shi Hao's shoulder hard, and said with great satisfaction, "It seems that God has been kind to my grandson. He took away a piece of your bone, but gave you a wider world and more precious opportunities!"

...(End of chapter)