Soul Jade's words fell like a stone cast into a calm lake, stirring ripples through everyone's hearts.
Even those who had been staring feverishly at the Bodhi ancient tree with greed and blazing eyes now turned their gazes, one after another, toward Soul Jade's calm, composed face.
Even the people most eager to charge toward the ancient tree could not help holding their breath, wanting to hear what this young patriarch of the Soul Clan had to say.
After all, the Soul Clan was one of the most mysterious races among the ancient clans, with an unfathomable foundation. Some of the ancient secrets they possessed might well surpass those of other races.
Soul Jade's gaze slowly swept over the crowd before finally stopping on the ancient tree. His voice was not loud, yet it carried a peculiar penetrating force, clearly entering everyone's ears.
"In one of my Soul Clan's oldest secret tomes, there was once a record of an old event. Roughly three thousand years ago, one of my clan's ancestors had an extraordinary encounter while roaming outside. At the time, through a twist of fate, just as we have today, he encountered... or rather, found the Bodhi ancient tree."
He paused, observing the doubt and attention that appeared on everyone's faces, then continued in that calm voice with its inexplicable pull. "That ancestor was overjoyed at the time and believed it to be a heaven-sent opportunity, so he immediately tried every possible way to approach it. Before acting, he used a secret art to send a brief message back to the clan. Its contents were only the few words: 'Encountered Bodhi. Entering it. Seeking heart.' Between the lines, it was filled with excitement and confidence."
"However—"
Soul Jade's tone shifted. The smile on his face faded slightly, and a