Chapter 31: Fragments of the Four Souls Jade, the Power That Suppresses All

Ye Xuan was not a saint devoid of desire, nor a superman who, after gaining power above all others, chose to live as an ordinary man bound by the weak.

Only a stronger force than him could bind him.

Therefore, he respected Zhong Lao for obtaining the “Rock King Emperor · Zhongli” template.

After gaining power, he willingly sacrificed his personal emotions, constantly aligning himself with the true Zhongli, solely to make this nation better.

He could not do that.

Yet, the current concentration of Qi in heaven and earth is low, and among the holders of celestial treasures, none have emerged stronger than Zhong Lao, so Zhong Lao can suppress all petty villains.

But in the future, as more celestial treasures appear, some may well be templates or artifacts stronger than “Zhongli” itself.

When that time comes, how will Zhong Lao, insufficient to suppress them, respond? And what will Great Xia become because of their emergence?

Ye Xuan did not know the answer, for human “good” and “evil” were too complex and unstable.

The hero who slays the dragon becomes the new dragon; the demon who seeks to destroy the world may turn toward light after certain experiences.

No one could know what the future of this world would become.

Ye Xuan could only grow as fast as possible—until he possessed the power to suppress all things, no matter what disaster the future brought.

Lin Miao said nothing, only quickened her movements.

She didn’t fully understand Ye Xuan’s words, but from his tone, she sensed something complex.

Though she didn’t understand, she felt silence was better at this moment.

After placing the last piece of quality mutant bird meat into the bag, Lin Miao sheathed the Garuda Blade, picked up the bag, and wore a satisfied smile.

“I’m done.”

“Do we need to hunt more?”

Due to her awakened ability, Lin Miao’s body had been nourished by Qi, so her physical condition was far superior to that of ordinary people.

Even two full bags of meat were not too heavy for her to carry.

But one more bag would likely be her limit.

After all, there were already hundreds of jin here.

“I’ll take you back first.”

“After that, I need to verify a hypothesis.”

Ye Xuan glanced at the bag in Lin Miao’s hands and shook his head.

Since he had deduced that the mutant bird flock might have mutated due to some celestial treasure, he naturally needed to search—his sword-flight technique could cover the entire [Misty Hidden Mountains] in little time.

But bringing Lin Miao along would be troublesome.

“Huh?”

“Alright then.”

Lin Miao paused at Ye Xuan’s words, then said regretfully.

She didn’t ask what hypothesis he wanted to test.

She was just a cook—why should she know so much?

The meat was enough anyway; going back was fine—they weren’t coming here just once.

Besides, the Hangcheng Nature Reserve had lodging; they didn’t need to return home—they could just stay here.

The driver had already told them this on the way.

After safely returning Lin Miao, Ye Xuan returned to the [Misty Hidden Mountains], standing at the spot where he had fought the mutant bird flock, scanning the surroundings before raising his hand—his waist sword flew out and hovered beneath his feet.

He stood upon the blade, and the sword lifted him into the air, overlooking the entire mountain range.

“Whether celestial treasure or heavenly essence, both are inseparable from Qi.”

“The heavenly essence that triggered the bird flock’s mutation essentially works by concentrating vast amounts of Qi to accelerate their transformation; even if the essence itself enhances the consumer’s bloodline, its growth must require immense Qi.”

“The same applies to celestial treasures.”

“After triggering the bird flock’s mutation, these mutated birds instinctively absorb Qi, inevitably lowering the Qi concentration in their habitat.”

“So, one need only locate areas with unusually high or low Qi concentration.”

Ye Xuan pondered as he moved through the forest, sensing Qi levels everywhere—soon, he detected anomalies.

In a valley approximately two kilometers from the previous battle site, the Qi concentration was markedly lower than the surrounding areas, as if drained by something.

“This is it.”

A flash of sharp light crossed Ye Xuan’s eyes as he rode his sword toward the valley.

When he landed in the valley, the sight before him made him pause.

At the valley’s center stood a massive ancient tree, its trunk thick and branches lush, yet strangely, not a blade of grass grew around it—the ground was riddled with fine cracks, as if its life force had been completely siphoned away.

Ye Xuan approached the tree and touched its trunk, immediately sensing a faint pulse emanating from within.

“Indeed, something is hidden inside.”

He stepped back, raised his hand, and his sword became a golden blade of light, slashing directly into the tree trunk.

“Crack!”

The trunk split open, revealing a dark hollow.

Inside the hollow lay a fragment, roughly the size of a thumb, irregular in shape, its surface smooth as jade, faintly emitting a deep purple glow.

“This appearance… a fragment of the Four Souls Jade?”

The Four Souls Jade was a treasure from the work “Inuyasha,” forged by a sorceress named “Cui Zi” who fused her soul with countless demons during battle, creating a spirit jade.

The complete Four Souls Jade could enhance the holder’s demonic power, spiritual power, or physical strength—even break the limits of life—and fulfill the holder’s wishes.

No matter how irrational the wish, the Four Souls Jade would realize it according to the holder’s strongest inner obsession; yet the fulfillment often came twisted, and only the one who made the “correct wish” could bear it—no one else could.

Even this fragment before Ye Xuan possessed the ability to enhance one’s power and, to a degree, realize one’s heart’s desire—though in a twisted form.

“So, someone accidentally dropped this fragment of the Four Souls Jade into this tree before Qi’s revival, and after Qi’s revival, the fragment became real and merged into the ancient tree?”

“And the bird flock mutated due to the demonic power leaking from the Four Souls Jade within the tree?”

“Then the tree’s wish—”

Ye Xuan looked at the barren, cracked earth around it, and the tree’s vibrant life, and formed a rough hypothesis.

“Not wanting to die. Wanting to live forever.”

Something like that, probably.

(End of Chapter)