Chapter 147: A Shrew Cursing in the Street
The terrified retreat of the Savage Beasts did not go unnoticed by the Human Clan.
Many among the Human cultivator factions were already restless, their survival instincts flaring.
But unlike the scattered and disorganized Beast forces, the Human factions under Shi Yi's command held firm, united. No one dared to flee without his word.
Then, at the crucial moment, Shi Yi finally spoke—his voice calm but commanding.
"There's no escaping this," he said. "The Divine Tide is like a river breaching its banks—relentless and unstoppable. In this sealed realm, there is nowhere beyond its reach."
"To survive it, we must stand together, become pillars, and form a bulwark strong enough to withstand its crushing force. Only then can we endure what's coming."
He saw it clearly. Escape was useless.
This so-called Divine Tide was never meant to be survived by the weak. It was a divine judgment—those too feeble to stand would simply be erased. Flee as they might, their fate wouldn't change.
There was a reason the Hundred Shattered Peaks secret realm had endured for so long. It functioned like a spiritual crucible—only a handful would make it out, and those who did were the strongest of the strong.
The Divine Tide was nature's great purge, a celestial wave that filtered gold from sand. Those who survived it would rise to greatness. And because of them, others would be drawn in—new generations of dreamers entering the furnace, hoping to seize their own fortune.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
The truth was stark:
The Hundred Shattered Peaks didn't offer opportunity. It devoured those who sought it.
It was a sacrificial altar disguised as a trial ground.
Shi Yi's expression hardened. He finally understood. In this world, sacrifice was omnipresent.
And this time, after the chaos triggered by him and Shi Hao, the next time the realm opened, it wouldn't just restrict age. It would also limit cultivation realm.
If he weren't the Holy Son of the Heaven Mending Sect, backed by one of the most ancient legacies in the Upper Realm, he and his people might have already fallen prey to this realm's hidden master.
Because here's the truth: identity matters.
Shi Yi wasn't some reckless brute like Shi Hao—brawny and hot-headed.
He knew how to wield status and form alliances. He wasn't ashamed of it. He saw value in choosing the right backer.
Three years ago, when he slew a Bi'an, a Ya Zi, and even an adult Pixiu, all of whom were apex Sacred Beasts, the entire Upper Realm was shaken.
From that moment on, Shi Yi became a coveted talent. Immortal Mountain, the Heaven Mending Sect, and the Heaven Severing Sect all courted him.
In the end, he chose the Heaven Mending Sect. Not for the beauty of Fairy Yue Chan, but for the sect's depth. Its foundation ran deeper than the rest.
The Heaven Severing Sect wasn't bad either, but it leaned toward a hands-off philosophy. Even the famed Celestial Vixen was basically a free-spirited wanderer.
The Heaven Mending Sect, on the other hand, stood behind its own. If a disciple was harmed, an elder would appear to defend them. In this way, it was much like the Heaven Mending Pavilion of the Lower Realm.
So if the hidden hand behind the Hundred Shattered Peaks wanted to make a move against him, they had to think long and hard—were they ready to face the old monsters of the Heaven Mending Sect?
Even though Shi Yi had been sent down to the Lower Realm by Yue Chan's true body, that wasn't a punishment or abandonment. It was his own decision—to temper himself in the mortal world.
And geniuses like Shi Yi had that kind of freedom.
Sure, the elders hoped he'd remain and cultivate with the sect's Saintess, but they didn't force the issue. They knew Shi Yi's cultivation had advanced too fast. By age sixteen, he'd crossed a path that others would need centuries to walk.
Spending a few decades—or even a century—in the Lower Realm would only refine him further.
But now…
"Become pillars? Build a dam?" someone muttered.
"If we don't run now, there won't be a later."
"This Divine Tide is unstoppable! Staying is suicide."
"Holy Son, we should leave while we still can. Even Bi Fang and the Demon Tree of Pu—beasts whose ancestors once felled gods—have fled. Why should we stay?"
"Trying to hold back the Divine Tide is like a mayfly trying to halt a landslide. Or a mantis stretching its limbs to block a war chariot!"
Panic had begun to ripple through Shi Yi's forces. Some groups were already slipping away, retreating in secret.
Shi Yi just waved his hand.
"If they want to leave, let them," he said coldly. "I'm no saint. If they don't believe me, let them run."
Huo Ling'er looked visibly displeased.
"You're just letting them walk away like that?" she asked.
Shi Yi smiled, casually pulled her off his back, and tapped her soft waist. "Let them go. Those who wish to leave can't be kept."
It wasn't that he rejected her closeness. He didn't mind when she clung to him in private. But doing so in front of others? It didn't look good.
"But—"
She opened her mouth to protest, but Shi Yi pinched her fair cheek, distracting her. Her anger turned to laughter, and she pounded his chest with her tiny fists like a child.
"Thank you, Holy Son!"
Roughly half of the Human cultivator forces stepped forward, clearly ready to cut and run.
But someone called out sharply.
"You're leaving just like that? Aren't you forgetting something?"
Huo Ling'er hadn't said it aloud—but others had no such restraint.
"You…"
The fleeing forces looked ashamed. But with Shi Yi standing tall and calm, they didn't dare argue.
"Cowards. Ungrateful traitors," one of the loyalists spat. "You never meant to share the spoils in the first place, did you? If we'd known, we would've let the Savage Beasts tear you apart back then."
The factions that remained loyal to Shi Yi stood firm, blocking the deserters. They weren't going to let anyone walk off with the Heaven Mending Sect's protection and treasure alike.
"We… we didn't forget," one of the defectors muttered. "We just thought we'd hand it over once we got out of the Hundred Shattered Peaks…"
They gave in fast.
After all, when the mountain gate opened, they'd harvested a haul of rare treasures. Leaving behind one-tenth wasn't much of a sacrifice.
In a flash, hundreds of brilliant relics appeared—rare artifacts from the Outer World.
When the gate had opened, tens of thousands of treasures had spilled forth. Humans and beasts had split the spoils.
But even then, those were merely bait.
Compared to the riches hidden within the Hundred Shattered Peaks, they were nothing—scraps, tossed to lure fresh blood into the furnace.
Most weren't even spiritualized. They couldn't compare to, say, the purple beast horn that Shi Hao had found—like the difference between common iron and a divine weapon.
"You shameless lot!" Huo Ling'er stood with her hands on her hips, voice rising like a street brawler. "You planned to run with the loot, didn't you? Should've let the beasts gnaw on your bones!"
Yet even then—acting like a shrew shouting in the street—she still looked beautiful.
Her fiery nature only added to her charm.
"Enough," Shi Yi said at last. "Gather up the treasures. The Divine Tide is coming. If we waste time, we'll be handing all this back to the realm."
He wrapped his arm around Huo Ling'er's waist—not just to calm her, but to stop her from running after the fleeing cowards. She looked like she would do it.
And the Divine Tide… was coming fast.