After leaving the imperial palace, Su Mo did not return directly to the academy. Instead, he teleported Xiao Wu to the wooden cabin on the Floating Island in Void Space.
He took out the ancient wooden box, opened its lid, and cradled the Sea God's Heart in his palm.
The blue gemstone gave off a gentle halo in the dim wooden cabin, like a small piece of frozen ocean. The flowing radiance within rose and fell softly with Su Mo's breathing.
"Xiao Wu, come here." Su Mo beckoned to her.
Xiao Wu leaned closer and looked curiously at the Sea God's Heart in his palm. "Brother, what is it?"
"Place your hand on it and try channeling Soul Power into it." Su Mo held the Sea God's Heart out before her. "Feel it with your heart and see whether it is willing to accept you."
Though Xiao Wu did not quite understand Su Mo's intentions, she had always trusted him completely.
She extended her hand and lightly placed her palm above the Sea God's Heart. Pink Soul Power slowly flowed from her fingertips into the gemstone.
The Sea God's Heart flashed once. The halo on its surface trembled gently, as though testing her—or hesitating.
Xiao Wu could sense an incomparably ancient yet gentle power sleeping deep within the gemstone. When her Soul Power brushed the edge of that power, it stirred faintly, like a half-open eye lazily glancing at her before closing again.
And then nothing happened.
The Sea God's Heart returned to its original soft, even glow, as though nothing had happened at all.
Xiao Wu increased her Soul Power and tried twice more, but the result was exactly the same.
The power deep within the gemstone remained asleep. It did not reject her, but neither did it accept