Jie Yin and Zhun Ti Were Shocked, First Qilin's Request!

At a single glance, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti were instantly dumbfounded, utterly shocked.

Before them, a divine seal hung high in the air, pouring down boundless mystic light. Its mighty pressure was vast, making their hearts tremble as they felt overwhelming terror.

Upon the divine seal was engraved the majestic figure of a qilin, lifelike and vivid, its eyes brimming with spirit and still carrying an awe-inspiring majesty.

"Qilin Seal?!"

Seeing this, Zhun Ti cried out in recognition of the treasure.

The Qilin Seal had once been a supreme treasure of the Qilin Clan.

One had to know that the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans had once been the undisputed absolute overlords of heaven and earth.

The Qilin Seal before them should originally have been of the highest-grade innate rank, with peerless divine might, perhaps not even inferior to an Innate Supreme Treasure.

However, the Qilin Clan had suffered devastating losses during the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation and had gradually declined, retreating from the world.

Having lost the protection of the Qilin Clan's fortune, it had fallen to the rank of a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Still, Zhun Ti knew very well that although the Qilin Seal before them could only be considered mid-grade innate, it could absolutely not be compared to ordinary mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.

Hearing Zhun Ti's cry of surprise and his explanatory words, Chen Ku was also overjoyed.

"Haha, just as I thought!"

"I never expected to obtain such a treasure just before leaving."

Chen Ku had already had his suspicions. After all, only a sufficiently supreme treasure could trigger his great divine ability of Ziwei Astrology to react on its own.

Now, that speculation had been confirmed.

Moreover, aside from all sorts of Spiritual Root Immortal Fruits, this was the only spirit treasure opportunity Chen Ku had gained on this journey.

This was what truly made the trip worthwhile!

Chen Ku directly put away the Qilin Seal without any hesitation, immediately intending to refine the spirit treasure on the spot.

After all, it had once belonged to the Qilin Clan, and remnants of the Qilin Clan's aura still lingered within it. Only by refining it completely could he truly control it.

However, just as Chen Ku formed a hand seal, an unexpected change suddenly occurred.

Boom!

Without warning, the Qilin Seal suddenly shook violently. An incomparably vast and fierce aura surged forth, directly shattering Chen Ku's still-unformed hand seal.

Before Chen Ku could react, a massive phantom manifested amid the divine radiance and immortal light filling the heavens.

"Roar..."

Accompanied by a faint, thunderous roar, Chen Ku saw clearly.

That phantom was unmistakably the form of a gigantic qilin beast.

A look of surprise appeared on Chen Ku's face.

One had to know that he had not yet refined the Qilin Seal, much less infused it with mana to activate it.

By all reason, even if a qilin phantom existed within it, it should not have manifested directly.

Moreover, Chen Ku immediately sensed something extraordinary.

The enormous qilin phantom was staring at Chen Ku with shining eyes that glimmered with intelligence.

"A remnant soul?!"

Understanding dawned on Chen Ku, and he murmured to himself.

Clearly, what stood before him was not a simple phantom, but the remnant soul of a powerful qilin expert that still retained part of its consciousness.

As though it had heard Chen Ku's muttering, the qilin phantom opposite him spoke as well.

"Correct!"

"I was First Qilin in the past. Now... I am merely a remnant soul."

First Qilin!

Hearing those three words, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti's expressions turned solemn. Their mana immediately began to circulate as they assumed wary, guarded stances.

Chen Ku's heart also jolted fiercely.

This was the former patriarch of the Qilin Clan, an unquestionable ancient-era supreme expert.

Ancestor Dragon, Primal Phoenix, and First Qilin—these three great experts had once led the countless demons of their clans and thrown heaven and earth into chaos.

There was no need to question his power. Even as nothing more than a remnant soul, he likely could not be underestimated.

At that thought, Chen Ku's expression immediately became guarded.

"Heh... First Qilin's remnant soul?"

"Are you trying to stop me from taking this Qilin Seal? I'm afraid it won't be so easy."

As he spoke, Chen Ku's mana began to circulate within him. The order of laws surged forth, and his immense pressure was soul-stirring.

The Qilin Seal's power was incomparably great. If he let it slip away, he would regret it beyond measure.

Furthermore, he had expended immense effort earlier to break the innate restriction in this place.

Therefore, even facing First Qilin's remnant soul, Chen Ku was still unwilling to give up so easily.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Chen Ku's words, First Qilin's remnant soul remained calm, showing none of the confrontational air Chen Ku had expected.

With a bitter smile, First Qilin spoke helplessly.

"Young friend, you misunderstand!"

"I am now only a surviving fragment of a remnant soul. I have long since lost all strength. How could I possibly stop you, young friend?!"

That answer instead made Chen Ku raise his brows in surprise.

He had not expected First Qilin's remnant soul to admit his current state so frankly.

For a moment, Chen Ku became even more puzzled by First Qilin's intentions.

However, seeing that First Qilin harbored no hostility, Jie Yin and Zhun Ti relaxed slightly and no longer remained as sharply confrontational as before.

Under the puzzled gazes of the three, First Qilin's remnant soul continued.

"The era of our Three Races has already come to an end. I have long accepted my fate."

"However, this Qilin Seal is an indispensable supreme treasure to my Qilin Clan."

"Therefore, I still wish to ask, young friend, that you return this item to the Qilin Clan."

"When I was at death's door in the past, I made a great vow to the Dao, granting my Qilin Clan a place to dwell beneath Qilin Cliff."

"If you are willing to grant this request, you may go there and return this item. The living beings of my clan will surely reward you generously."

Only then did Chen Ku understand.

So First Qilin had left behind a remnant soul within the Qilin Seal for this very reason.

It seemed the Qilin Seal truly was important enough to the Qilin Clan for him to guard it so diligently.

Moreover, his words had been extremely courteous.

Chen Ku frowned deeply as he considered First Qilin's remnant soul's words.

Such a supreme treasure was already practically in his hands, yet he had to return it to its original owners?!

Not only Chen Ku, whose temperament was like that of Jie Yin and Zhun Ti, but likely any cultivator in the world would find it unbearably difficult and painful to part with it.

Yet on the other hand, the Qilin Clan had once been one of the most powerful overlords of heaven and earth. Even in decline, it still retained residual might enough to intimidate all living beings in every direction.

If he refused, would he offend the Qilin Clan?!

Furthermore, First Qilin had plainly stated that returning the treasure would earn him the Qilin Clan's generous reward.

Chen Ku naturally did not doubt that an existence of such stature was making empty promises.

Chen Ku immediately fell into a dilemma.

As he pondered inwardly.

On the other side, after First Qilin's remnant soul finished speaking, it seemed to have reached its limit.

It could see Chen Ku's hesitation, yet it said nothing more.

It merely cast Chen Ku a deep look. Then, its already illusory remnant soul began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, it had completely vanished into nothingness, leaving nothing behind.

Only then did First Qilin, this supreme expert of the ancient era, truly perish completely, with no trace of his aura remaining in the world.

Watching this, Chen Ku could not help feeling somewhat wistful and reluctant.

For a moment, the place sank into an eerie silence.

Jie Yin and Zhun Ti wore complicated expressions, but neither urged Chen Ku.

First Qilin had once been one of the most powerful beings in heaven and earth.

His request naturally could not be taken lightly.

The two looked at Chen Ku meaningfully, as though waiting for him to make his own decision.

But before Chen Ku could think any further.

Suddenly, an incomparably vast and deafening immortal voice resounded throughout heaven and earth.

"I am Hongjun!"

"The time has come. The third sermon begins..."

Hearing this, all three were greatly startled and turned toward the sound!