Chapter 562: Chapter 305 Divine Infant Stone Spirit
"What is your name?" the Yaochi Saintess asked gently.
The infant girl shook her head. "I don’t have a name yet. Can Father and Mother give me one?"
"Of course we can," Gu Sheng replied with a smile. "Since you were born from the primordial stone, we shall call you ’Stone Spirit.’"
"Stone Spirit? What a lovely name!" The infant clapped her tiny hands and laughed joyfully. "Then from now on, I’ll be called Stone Spirit!"
The Yaochi Saintess gazed at Stone Spirit’s innocent and pure smile, a nameless emotion stirring in her heart. She gently stroked Stone Spirit’s head and said, "Stone Spirit, from now on, we are a family. We will take good care of you."
However, at that moment, a powerful aura suddenly emanated from the distance. Both Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess had their expressions change—they could feel the hostility and menace in that aura.
"This is bad! Someone is coming!" Gu Sheng said gravely. "We need to leave here at once!"
The Yaochi Saintess nodded, cradling Stone Spirit as she and Gu Sheng quickly departed the secret garden. They had just left when a dark figure descended on the spot where they had been. A mysterious person in black robes cast a frigid gaze around the area, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. "Trying to flee? It won’t be that easy!"
Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess navigated through the labyrinthine secret realm with Stone Spirit in tow, attempting to shake off their pursuer. Yet the oppressive aura relentlessly trailed them, as if no matter where they fled, they could not escape.
"What do we do? It feels like we’ve been locked onto!" the Yaochi Saintess said anxiously.
A resolute expression flashed in Gu Sheng’s eyes. "We cannot let them find Stone Spirit! I’ll stay behind to hold them off while you take Stone Spirit and go ahead!"
"No! I can’t let you face the danger alone!" the Yaochi Saintess replied firmly.
As the two argued, Stone Spirit suddenly spoke up, "Father, Mother, don’t quarrel. I have a way to get rid of them."
Both Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess looked at Stone Spirit in astonishment. "What way?" they asked.
Stone Spirit closed her eyes, her small lips moving as though chanting something under her breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes and pointed in a direction. "Go that way. I have a good friend waiting for us there."
Although puzzled, the two had no better option at the moment. Following Stone Spirit’s guidance, they pressed forward. Sure enough, they soon spotted the entrance to a massive cavern. Strange flowers and grasses grew abundantly around the cave, their fragrance intoxicating. At the entrance stood a youth dressed in white.
Seeing the three approach, the youth softened his expression into a gentle smile. "You’ve finally arrived."
"Who are you?" Gu Sheng asked guardedly. "How did you know we’d be coming here?"
The youth smiled faintly. "I am Stone Spirit’s friend. She contacted me earlier, saying honored guests would be arriving."
The Yaochi Saintess studied the youth, sensing the powerful aura emanating from him. Her heart grew wary, but she knew now was not the time to cast doubt. She spoke with resolve, "Can you help us fend off the pursuers?"
"Of course," the youth said with a smile and a nod. "This is my territory. Rest assured, they won’t find you."
Saying this, the youth turned and led the three deeper into the cave. The cave’s interior was an intricate maze, but the youth navigated it with effortless familiarity. Before long, they arrived at a spacious stone chamber with a massive stone tablet in its center. The tablet was inscribed with ancient runes.
"You can rest here for now," the youth said, gesturing toward the stone table and chairs in the chamber. "I’ll take care of the trouble outside."
Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess exchanged glances and both nodded. "Thank you."
The youth departed, and not long after, the sounds of fierce clashes and anguished cries echoed from outside. About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the youth returned, his appearance pristine, without a speck of dust or blood—as though he had merely gone for a brief stroll.
"It’s taken care of," he said nonchalantly. "You can stay here in peace."
Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess both heaved a sigh of relief. They knew they owed their escape to this mysterious youth. Stone Spirit gleefully ran over and hugged the youth’s leg. "Thank you, big brother!"
Yaochi Holy Land, land of beauty and blessed by nature, had long been regarded as a sacred place by cultivators.
On this day, a shocking piece of news emerged from the depths of the Holy Land—the Yaochi Saintess, while excavating an ancient site, had unexpectedly discovered an Ancient Divine Infant slumbering within a jade box.
Though its eyes were closed in sleep, the Divine Infant radiated overwhelming life essence, clearly no ordinary being. The Saintess understood the gravity of the discovery and immediately sealed the news. However, there are no secrets that time will not reveal, and soon, the news swept like wildfire across the Cultivation World.
Major factions, upon hearing the news, mobilized their elites under various pretexts to probe the truth at Yaochi Holy Land.
"Saintess, Yue Qianshan from Infinite Mountain requests an audience," a Yaochi disciple reported hurriedly.
The Saintess frowned slightly and replied in a low voice, "Refuse him. Say I am in seclusion and unavailable for disturbances."
"Understood!" The disciple obeyed and departed.
But this was only the beginning. Soon, Jiang Yichen of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Elder Ling Yue of Shaking Light Sacred Land, Silent Annihilation Venerable of Destruction Hall, and Ji Daochong of the Ji family all arrived one after another at Yaochi Holy Land. Whether openly or covertly, they all expressed keen interest in the Ancient Divine Infant.
The Yaochi Saintess knew full well that these people were among the top figures of the Cultivation World, individuals not easily offended. But she also understood that the importance of the Ancient Divine Infant was immeasurable and under no circumstances could it fall into the hands of these factions.