Chapter 163: Black Jade

Yin Yin was the first to recover her composure, her expression grave: "The aura of the dead?"

She flipped her palm lightly and retrieved the jade.

Deep within her pupils, a pale moon vortex appeared as she stared closely.

Several seconds passed.

Yin Yin's pupils contracted; she nearly dropped the white jade, her voice icy: "This is a dead person's jade from the Underworld!"

Upon hearing this,

the others exchanged glances, their faces paling slightly.

Though none knew what a "dead person's jade" was, it sounded anything but good.

The cabin's previously light and cheerful atmosphere turned instantly eerie.

Liu Liu Tiezhu asked urgently: "What exactly is this?"

Yin Yin's face darkened as she shook her head: "I don't know how dead person's jades come to be."

"I've only heard of them a few times in the Prefecture's Prayer Hall."

"They are items from the Underworld—extremely ominous."

"Anyone who touches one will soon be dragged to the Land of the Dead."

"When I first received it, I didn't recognize it and paid it no mind."

The white-robed girl turned to Jiang Jian: "Thanks to your warning just now, I used the Prayer Hall's secret method to examine it—and only then did I sense the anomaly."

Upon hearing this,

Shan Ye and Zhong Ling both turned pale.

Liu Liu Tiezhu's gaze darkened: "The Land of the Dead? That place you only go to after death?!"

"Yes."

Yin Yin nodded: "Jiang Jian, you recognized the aura of the dead person's jade—do you already have a solution?"

Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Does the Prefecture's Divine Messenger have any way to deal with it?"

Yin Yin thought briefly, then said: "I've heard my father mention several times that the Underworld's entrances have been appearing frequently lately, and the Prefecture has dispatched many troops to seal them off one by one."

"But he never mentioned any way to handle dead person's jades."

"If needed, I can ask right away."

As she spoke, she raised her identity device.

Jiang Jian nodded: "Ask first—see what the Prefecture's Divine Messenger says."

The interdimensional shuttle rose into the sky, pierced through the Sky Pillar's rail, and sped toward Shaoshuizhou.

Inside the cabin,

those who had received the dead person's jade were all uneasy.

Jiang Zhao, worried, walked over and sat beside Jiang Jian, whispering: "You have a way out, don't you?"

The partitioning light screen rose silently.

Jiang Jian glanced at his sister and said softly: "I have a way."

His sister exhaled in relief: "That's good."

Jiang Jian added: "But I can only guarantee my own safety."

His sister froze, then asked: "What about Yin Yin and the others?"

"The Land of the Dead is too strange—I've never encountered it."

Jiang Jian said, "Let's first see what's truly happening at Shaoshui's edge."

Not long ago,

Jiang Jian had used Ice-Blue Radiance to examine his own soul.

He had been horrified to discover:

A strange gray mist clung to his soul.

This gray mist was the very aura carried by the dead person's jade.

It formed a gray ring, slowly shrinking, as if preparing to encircle his soul.

Once fully formed,

the living being would die instantly.

The soul would be dragged into the Land of the Dead, never to be reborn.

After sensing the gray mist,

Jiang Jian had tested and estimated:

At the risk of damaging his soul, using Ice-Blue Radiance could purge the dead person's jade's aura.

But his Ice-Blue Radiance was nearly depleted.

If he used it to remove these gray traces, he would have no residue left.

Otherwise, his soul would lose its integrity, crack open, and collapse into countless shards.

"We'll do our best."

His sister looked at Jiang Jian and whispered: "If there's truly no way, don't force it."

Her gaze turned cold as she added: "That Shi Shi Xuan is truly despicable."

"I heard from Yin Yin that you treated him well."

"Yet he secretly plotted these deadly schemes."

As she spoke,

Yin Yin's identity device chimed—the Prefecture's Divine Messenger had replied.

The partitioning light screen lowered.

Jiang Zhao walked over and asked: "What did he say?"

(End of Chapter)