That was clearly the token of a Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect disciple!
On the mainland, anyone who dared to keep a token like that was openly challenging the Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect.
At first, Mu Rong had thought he could take Suo Ling hostage and use him to threaten the sect. But the moment he saw the token, that thought vanished.
What replaced it was a deep sense of regret.
Luckily, he hadn't done anything.
"Th-this..."
The forest was suddenly filled with the sound of people drawing in sharp breaths. Everyone stared at the token in Suo Ling's hand, stunned.
"Boss, this little fellow's got quite a background. He can't be from the Suo family, can he?"
Suo Ling also looked dumbfounded. "This token looks really nice."
"Ahem!"
Old Monk coughed hard, glaring at his foolish disciple.
He really had no sense of what was going on!
"All right!"
Old Monk took a deep breath and quickly rearranged his expression, even putting on a warm, friendly smile.
"Now that you're safe, young man, I can finally relax.
"If you need anything while you're staying in Ju Yuan City, come find me. If I can't solve it, go straight to the city lord's residence and ask for me."
With that, he gave a wave of his hand.
"Let's go! Back to the residence!"
They strode away, not even glancing at the muddy ground.
Even their backs seemed to carry a faint air of pride.
"City Lord, I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Mu Rong watched Old Monk's retreating figure and gave a sincere apology.
No matter why the old man had suddenly stepped in, being able to bring the soldiers here today was a kindness in itself.
That favor had to be repaid.
Even if they had only helped each other for their own reasons, he would not forget it.
"Boss, hurry up and tell us! Is this token really from the Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect?"
"Boss, what does that big shot look like? Is he especially powerful?"
The younger brothers crowded around Mu Rong, chattering nonstop.
Mu Rong turned the token over in his hand, then looked into the distance, where the old man's figure had disappeared. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Powerful?"
"Maybe."
"From now on, I'll become even more powerful than him."
"..."
Outside Ju Yuan City, a luxurious carriage was speeding along.
Inside the carriage, an old man held a piece of jade in his hand. The jade pendant gleamed, but his expression remained unsettled.
The Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect.
That name was like a curse, one that had shackled the sect for hundreds of years.
Over the years, the sect had spent countless resources and tried every method it could think of, yet it had never found a way to break through the bottleneck.
Many people had even dismissed the sect as nothing more than a group of fools who had no idea what they were doing.
But today, a six-year-old child had stunned everyone.
The Golden Soul Seed!
That name was too remarkable, so remarkable it hardly seemed real.
"Young Sect Master."
Mu Rong sat opposite him, his brows tightly knit and his voice low.
"You're actually going to believe what that little boy said? Old man, you're being rather reckless."
"A six-year-old child. Even if he's clever, how could he possibly know the secret techniques hidden in the ancient books of the Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect?"
"I heard that... he has put a lot of effort into it."
Mu Rong turned to look out the carriage window, watching the scenery rush past.
"Uncle, whether it's true or not isn't important."
"What matters is that he gave us hope."
"If there's even the slightest chance it's real, when we get back to the sect, we'll search the ancient records and send people across the whole continent to investigate. As long as there's truly a Golden Soul Seed, then he wasn't lying."
Mu Rong nodded, a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes.
"Besides, I believe that little fellow is a sensible person."
"A sensible person knows how to weigh the situation."
"He has no evidence, and no reason to take such a risk by telling us something we could investigate with a little effort, only to offend three sects in the process."
"If he really dares..."
Mu Rong's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of unmistakable killing intent.
"Then there'd be no need for Ju Yuan City to exist."
Old Monk fell silent again.
Only the sound of Mu Rong's hurried footsteps echoed through the carriage, like a drum beating against fate.
The last of the dirt he'd kicked up had not yet settled when Mu Rong's figure had already vanished into the distance.
Since the Seven-Star Soul Seed Sect had taken the bait, all that remained was for Mu Rong to show what he was capable of.
Back at the lodging, the simple traveling bags had already been packed.
The vacation was over. Rather than waste time sightseeing in the city, they might as well return to the village and take a good look around.
Their cultivation had made decent progress this year. They had started at the sixth level, and now their soul power had reached the seventh level and a half.
At this rate, breaking through to the tenth level would take at least another year and a half, perhaps even three years.
There was no need to rush.
The body was a vessel, and soul power was water.
If the vessel wasn't strong enough, even the greatest amount of water would make it burst.
Mu Rong had been focusing on strengthening his body and spirit.
As for the Jade Little Blade's so-called "423-year limit for absorbing the first Soul Seed," Mu Rong thought it was a joke.
As long as his physique and spirit were strong enough, even absorbing a six-hundred-year Soul Seed for the first one wouldn't be impossible. It was all about putting in the effort.
A ringed martial soul might be able to withstand seven or eight hundred years, but the Ice Phoenix was a high-level martial soul. Six hundred years was already a very suitable limit.
There was no need to bet his life on a few extra years.
He told Old Monk, who was staying at the city lord's residence, as well as Suo Ling, who had stayed behind at the inn to look after their belongings, that he was heading back to the village alone.
As the sun set in the west, the village road lay quiet beneath the fading light.
Pushing open the familiar, broken wooden door, he saw Old Monk sitting at the table with a bowl of thin porridge.
"Xiao Rong?"
The spoon in Old Monk's hand trembled. In an instant, his aged face broke into a delighted smile.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? Your father went to cook you a whole chicken!"
He spoke as if he were about to get up.
Mu Rong hurried forward, held Old Monk by the shoulder, and gently guided him back onto the stool.
"Grandpa Old Monk, you've been busy. I'm fine."
He took a worn cloth bag out of his arms and casually set it on the table, whose corner had broken off.
Thump.
The bag landed on the table, revealing an enormous pile of gold coins.
The table shook under the weight, and dust rose into the air.
Old Monk froze. His cloudy eyes stared at the bag, and he instinctively reached out to open it.
A flash of gold.
The golden light burst into the dim room.
As if the coins had burned his hand, he jerked it back. He stood so abruptly that he knocked over the water jug behind him.
"Th-this... this..."
His breathing grew rapid, and his chest heaved.
Even the village chief had never seen that much money.
"Six thousand gold coins."
Mu Rong's expression was calm, as if he were looking at a bag of potatoes.
"Xiao Rong, y-you... where did you get so much money? You didn't... you didn't..."
Old Monk's face turned deathly pale. His first reaction wasn't joy, but fear.
A six-year-old child couldn't possibly come by that kind of wealth.
Unless he had done something terrible, or stolen from someone.
"Grandpa Old Monk, don't worry."
Mu Rong poured himself a glass of water and took a slow sip.
"This is all money I earned doing business. I only made a small profit, and the city lord's residence paid me the rest."
At the words "city lord's residence," the fear on Old Monk's face eased a little, though his legs still felt weak. He steadied himself against the table and struggled to stand upright.
"Six thousand gold coins... what are you going to do with that money? Save it for a wife, or buy a big house in the city...?"
Before you continue