In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

On Shicun's bed, Shigen suddenly opened his eyes.

He had clearly spent a long time in the True Spirit Space, exchanging insights and gathering his various bodies, as if half a day had passed. But in the outside world, it felt like he had only closed his eyes for a moment.

As his consciousness returned, the vast blood and qi of the late-stage Blood Transformation Realm within his body still surged like a tide. Everything that had just happened in the True Spirit Space was as clear as if it had just occurred.

"I still need to work harder and make sure to push my cultivation to the extreme of the Blood Transformation Realm within a year."

Shi Geng muttered to himself, his gaze sharp as a blade.

To comprehend the original truth, one must not only possess the physical strength of 100,000 jin and reach the extreme realm of Blood Transfer, but also hone one's will to be indestructible, like divine iron being tempered.

He was also very confident about this, and was certain that he could hone his physical strength to the level of 100,000 jin of divine power within a year.

As for willpower, he is not lacking at all. Having shared the experience of the Heavenly Dao Stone, his willpower has long been as solid as ancient divine iron, far surpassing that of his contemporaries.

Now all that's left is time for things to settle.

However, the Great Wilderness is turbulent and there is never any peace. The four major forces, including Luofu Great Swamp, which were previously defeated and fled by Liu Shen, have obviously not given up. Their killing intent and covetousness towards Stone Village have never dissipated.

In the following days, Shi Geng keenly sensed that a powerful aura had quietly appeared deep within the surrounding dense forest.

Even though the other party tried his best to conceal his aura and hide his whereabouts, Shi Geng relied on his powerful mental state, and he could sense all the movements of heaven and earth in his heart, so there was nothing that could be hidden from his perception.

Those people remained hidden and observed from a distance, hesitant to make a move. However, their faint, sinister gazes, like venomous snakes, locked onto Stone Village, casting an extremely oppressive and dangerous aura over the entire village.

Shi Geng did not make a fuss, but secretly informed the clan chief Shi Yunfeng about the matter, instructing him to restrain the clansmen and not to leave the village easily in the near future, so as to avoid any unforeseen events.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yunfeng's expression turned solemn, and he immediately nodded in agreement.

Shi Geng was finally able to relax a little.

What he lacks most right now is time to cultivate in peace, and with the protection of the Willow God, Stone Village is the most peaceful haven in this wilderness, so safety is not a problem.

The key issue is food. Being unable to leave the village to hunt means they can only eat the food they have stored. Fortunately, after obtaining the remains of the Suanni, the people of Shi Village went into the mountains to collect the corpses of many ferocious beasts and birds of prey.

The flesh and blood were full of vital energy, making them an unparalleled tonic. With ample reserves of beast meat, even if one stayed indoors and focused on cultivation, it would be more than enough to sustain them for a month or two. There was no need to worry about food in the short term.

A few more days passed peacefully in Shicun.

Beneath the seemingly peaceful surface, undercurrents were already surging.

The four major powers finally couldn't hold back any longer.

As four of the most powerful and renowned forces within the 50,000-mile territory, they have now lost face in an obscure and remote mountain village. If they do not retaliate, they will likely become a laughing stock in the surrounding area.

What they found even more irresistible were the coveted treasures of Stone Village: the Suanni Treasure Technique and the Suanni Treasure Bone.

The mixture of shame and greed ignited their ferocity.

On this day, the world changed color.

The four clan leaders personally led their clans' elders, powerful warriors, and elite troops, arriving in overwhelming numbers and surrounding the entire Stone Village like dark clouds pressing down on the city.

A fierce and malevolent aura soared into the sky, and a chilling killing intent filled the air. The entire wilderness trembled, and the air seemed to freeze. A devastating calamity that would engulf Stone Village was about to strike!

Shi Geng stood at the village entrance, watching those figures, a cold smile curving his lips.

"They're really courting death."

Shi Geng chuckled, his expression indifferent.

With the powerful Liu Shen in charge, he wasn't worried at all about what trouble these clowns could cause, let alone threaten Shi Village.

Sure enough, the world changed dramatically the next moment.

A verdant willow branch appeared out of nowhere, and with a gentle sway, it stretched across all directions, pressing down on the void and causing it to twist and crack.

The four major forces came with great force, but they had no room to struggle in front of Liu Shen.

Only the Golden Wolf Tribe's sacrificial spirit and the Purple Mountain Marquis barely escaped with their lives, fleeing in a sorry state after paying a heavy price.

The other invading enemies either fled this forbidden land early on when they saw that the situation was not good, or were killed on the spot.

Those ferocious mounts and tamed beasts were all tied together with willow branches like candied hawthorns and lightly tossed back into Stone Village.

Just moments ago, a devastating disaster loomed over the city, but in the blink of an eye, only a mountain of corpses remained, and crimson bloodstains stained the forests outside the village, a horrifying sight.

On this day, countless forces that had been secretly watching and plotting were terrified and fled in panic.

Without prior agreement, they designated Shicun as a forbidden area, and no one within a radius of a hundred miles dared to set foot there.

No one expected that the spirit of a remote mountain village could be so terrifying.

The fact that the four major forces mobilized in full force was merely a way to provide Liu Shen with nourishment and sustenance.

In stark contrast to the carnage and widespread fear outside, Stone Village was filled with jubilation.

The crowd knelt and worshipped the Willow God with reverence and joy.

This is the second time that Liu Shen has taken action for Shi Cun, and each time he has crushed all enemies with overwhelming force.

With such a powerful sacrificial spirit protecting them, their survival difficulties in this cruel wilderness were reduced by more than several times in an instant!

Shi Geng stood to the side, watching this scene with a calm and undisturbed heart.

Others only thought of the Willow God as a powerful sacrificial spirit, but he knew perfectly well that this calamized willow tree was a being beyond the comprehension of this world.

This is a Celestial King who has undergone Nirvana!

Even if it has suffered an unimaginable calamity and fallen to the mortal world, and has just been reborn, its remaining power is by no means something that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can provoke or contend with.

With this former Celestial King in charge, Stone Village is the safest place in the entire lower realm.

This time, however, Liu Shen actually spoke.

This was the first time Shi Geng had heard the voice of the Willow God. It was as gentle as a breeze rustling through willow branches, and it was impossible to tell whether the person was male or female. Only a wisp of divine thought gently landed in everyone's hearts.

"This is food; make sure you have enough. A great calamity is about to befall us."

The villagers of Shicun were taken aback at first, then suddenly realized that this was the spirit of the sacrifice speaking to them. They were all very excited and bowed down devoutly to the withered willow branch.

The spirit that had guarded Stone Village for decades, always silent, suddenly spoke up today, a shock that stirred everyone's hearts.

Shi Geng joined the others in respectful worship. Just when he thought the Willow God would fall silent again, a divine voice, unique to him, suddenly rang in his ears, gentle yet clear: "You are extraordinary. If you have any questions about your cultivation in the future, you may come and ask me."

Shi Geng's body trembled violently, and his heart was filled with shock.

Willow Goddess... actually sent him a private telepathic message?

The people around were still prostrating themselves in devotion, unaware of this secret scene.

Shi Geng suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, his hands hanging at his sides clenching slightly. He knew how extraordinary Liu Shen was; even though she rarely showed any concern for the entire Stone Village, she had now personally allowed him to inquire about cultivation. This opportunity weighed more than a thousand pounds.

He dared not make a sound, but silently bowed in his heart: "Disciple Shi Heng will remember the teachings of the Willow God and thank the Willow God for his favor."

The willow branch above swayed gently, then there was no further movement, as if the voice that had just been spoken to him had never appeared.