When the edge of the sky began to pale, the Four Souls Jewel slowed down.
It flew over a chain of mountains, over a wide river, over a wasteland that stretched beyond sight.
At last, it stopped above a valley.
Chiyo's figure followed close behind.
He stood on a distant mountaintop, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the silver-white jewel suspended in midair.
His senses were fully unleashed, covering an area of dozens of miles around him.
There were demons.
Many demons.
In every direction around this valley, there were the auras of at least a hundred demons.
Even the weakest were mid-level, and a dozen or so of the stronger ones had already brushed the threshold of a Great Demon.
Moreover, many of them were tainted with evil aura.
The Four Souls Jewel hung above the valley, its silver-white light inconspicuous in the morning light.
But that power fluctuation, pure to the extreme, spread outward pulse by pulse, like the beating of a heart.
Not far away were three Wolf Demons.
They had originally been resting in a cave north of the valley, only to be jolted awake by that power fluctuation.
They rushed out of the cave and sprinted wildly all the way in the direction of the pulse.
Chiyo stood on the mountaintop and watched the three Wolf Demons charge into the valley from the north.
They stood at the bottom of the valley, heads tilted back, looking at the silver-white jewel suspended above them.
Their eyes were filled with greed.
"What kind of power is this..."
"So strong... so pure..."
"Mine... it's mine..."
"..."
The three Wolf Demons leaped up almost at the same time.
They pounced toward the Four Souls Jewel, stretching out their claws, wanting to seize it in their hands.
But the