Qing Muling suddenly gave him a treasure, but Ju Hua wasn't surprised.
For one thing, he was the commander-in-chief of this expedition, and Qing Muling would have to obey his orders for some time to come. Before, she could still work with Fuyun and Zhuanshui Pingqiu to keep Ju Hua in check. But now, Fuyun and Zhuanshui Pingqiu had fled in the middle of battle. When they returned, they'd be lucky to protect themselves, let alone help keep Ju Hua in check.
Besides, given the strength Ju Hua had revealed and his standing as a member of the Zhuanshui Clan's main branch, he was certainly worth cultivating a good relationship with. Giving him an unusual magic treasure was a small matter.
Ju Hua understood this, which was why he'd accepted the magic treasure from Qing Muling without hesitation. If he hadn't, Qing Muling would have felt uneasy instead.
Still, Ju Hua hadn't expected the magic treasure Qing Muling gave him to bring him an unexpected gain!
After dismissing Qing Muling with a few words, Ju Hua took out the piece of blue jade and carefully rubbed it between his fingers. It glimmered with a soft light, and Ju Hua could indeed feel it nourishing his soul.
But the jade's soul-nourishing properties weren't what had just made Ju Hua's expression change.
Not long ago, the instant Ju Hua touched the jade, a mysterious vortex had suddenly appeared within his otherwise tranquil soul. In an instant, seven or eight specks of light had been sucked into it.
The same thing had happened before. For a time, Ju Hua had suspected that his talent had become what it was because his soul had absorbed those mysterious specks of light.
Ju Hua knew all too well just how astonishing his talent was now. So when anything might be related to it, he didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment.
Unfortunately, Ju Hua examined the jade again and again, but still found nothing unusual about it. It was just an ordinary magic treasure.
"Then I'll try another way." Ju Hua murmured thoughtfully. The next moment, his divine power began to surge.
Divine runes appeared on Ju Hua's hand. Without hesitation, he clenched it hard.
Ju Hua had cultivated the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens to the thirteenth level, making him the equivalent of a Primordial Spirit Fiendgod. That grip of his naturally carried earth-shattering strength.
The jade was low-grade to begin with, and it wasn't a magic treasure known for its defensive power. As Ju Hua steadily increased his strength, countless cracks quickly spread across its surface.
Finally, with a soft snap, the jade shattered!
At that very instant, another vortex appeared in Ju Hua's soul, and more than a dozen specks of light were sucked inside.
"Just as I thought. These specks have nothing to do with the jade itself. They come from the materials used to refine it. I just don't know what those materials were!" Looking at the countless fragments of the magic treasure in his hand, Ju Hua's mind raced with possibilities.
"Qing Muling said this jade came from a cultivator burdened with great sin, and those specks are connected to the soul. Could it be..." As though he'd thought of something, a peculiar expression flashed through Ju Hua's eyes.
Many cultivators, seeking to cultivate faster or refine more powerful magic treasures, wantonly slaughtered mortals. Such people often bore great sin.
Cultivators slaughtered mortals for all sorts of reasons, but there were only two main motives: they sought either the mortals' souls or their blood essence.
Those specks were clearly connected to the soul. Ju Hua couldn't help suspecting that the material used to refine the jade had actually come from the souls of countless mortals.
"If that's really the case, I can only let things take their course." Standing aboard the Shuixuan Warship, Ju Hua gave a small shake of his head. He wouldn't slaughter mortals over a mere suspicion. Even if it turned out to be true, he still wouldn't do it. That would violate his Dao Heart!
As Ju Hua pondered, the Shuixuan Warship quickly flew tens of thousands of kilometers. When it reached the outskirts of Autumn Mountain Great Marsh, Ju Hua brought it to a halt.
He took out a Message Token and channeled a wisp of magical power into it. Before long, a squad of soldiers clad in golden armor arrived nearby.
"Are you friends of the Zhuanshui Clan?" the leading golden-armored soldier called from a distance.
"By order of Emperor Xia, my Zhuanshui Clan has come to put down the Fiendgods. I am Zhuanshui Juhua, commander-in-chief of this expedition. Who are you?" Ju Hua called back.
"I am Jia Mu of the Yinglong Army. Immortal Jiuhua specifically ordered me to welcome the Zhuanshui Clan!" the golden-armored soldier called back.
"Do you have proof?" Ju Hua asked.
"Of course!" The soldier tossed a token from afar. Ju Hua waved his hand, and it flew into his grasp.
The token's surface bore a relief of a mighty dragon with a pair of wings on its back. After a brief examination, Ju Hua confirmed that it was genuine.
In Desolate Era, the Great Xia World had the Yinglong Guard to keep the realm in awe—but that should have come after Emperor Xia divided the land into three thousand six hundred commanderies and built cities.
The Yinglong Guard hadn't appeared yet. For now, there was only the Yinglong Army, the most powerful military force in the Great Xia World. It fought on behalf of Emperor Xia and had won countless victories!
The Yinglong Army's backbone was made up of members of the Xiamang Clan, though many members of other clans had joined as well. The army had existed for countless years, growing ever larger with the passage of time. It was hardly surprising that it would eventually grow into a behemoth like the Yinglong Guard!
After confirming that the token was genuine, Ju Hua returned it to Jia Mu.
"Then I'll trouble you to lead the way, Daoist Jia Mu!" Ju Hua said.
"Follow me!"
Jia Mu said nothing more. He simply waved his hand, and a small squad of the Yinglong Army flew off in a certain direction. Ju Hua urged the Shuixuan Warship forward, quickly following the squad ahead.
After flying for a short while, Ju Hua spotted a sprawling military camp in the distance. Though they hadn't reached it yet, he could already sense the formations and restrictions spread all around it.
"Even a Celestial Immortal probably wouldn't fare well if they barged in, would they?" The thought crossed Ju Hua's mind. Soon, the Shuixuan Warship approached the formations and restrictions.
At Jia Mu's signal, Ju Hua presented his Message Token to prove his identity. Once the Loose Immortals responsible for the restrictions learned that the Zhuanshui Clan had arrived, they readily let Ju Hua and the others pass.
Before long, Jia Mu led everyone to a corner of the camp.
"Daoist Ju Hua, the other clans haven't arrived yet. For now, please have the members of the Zhuanshui Clan rest here for a few days. If you need anything, just come find me," Jia Mu said.
"Have the other clans still not arrived?" Ju Hua thought for a moment, then said, "My Zhuanshui Clan encountered a large group of Fiendgods attacking us in Qianfeng Valley. There was even a Void-Return Fiendgod among them."
Before Ju Hua could finish, Jia Mu asked in astonishment, "Is that true?"
"Of course," Ju Hua replied calmly.