Jason stayed in the forbidden area for a full ten days.
The concentration of elements in the forbidden area was two hundred times that of the outside world, and the Blue Jade Fruit's mind-clearing effect also lasted ten days. Having just memorized all the knowledge of the Profound Mysteries, Jason tried to make some progress during those few days-and gained an inkling of the Edicts of Destruction. As long as he grasped it, he could take his first step.
"Time's up." Bili was already used to newly advanced Saint-level cultivators taking the opportunity to stay the full ten days.
"Thank you for your patience, senior."
"Take this crystal ball and Interspatial Ring. They're additional benefits from the clan."
Members of the Rhine Clan received an Interspatial Ring upon breaking through to the Saint level, but what was the crystal ball for? Jason accepted them, puzzled.
"After the great battle back then, two Deity-level beings from the clan survived. Besides the clan head, the other Deity-level being was also gravely injured and has a great need for souls. This crystal ball can draw in unprotected souls within ten meters. If you can fill it, you can hand it over to me in exchange for a Blue Jade Fruit."
Bili paused, then added, "However, you must not cause mass deaths on the Yulan Continent. Not even members of the Rhine Clan may do so. That would bring the other Deity-level beings of the Yulan Continent down on the Rhine Empire."
"Besides Bloodshadow Valley, the clan has also established a base on an island deep in the southern sea, called Crescent Island, where Saint-level clan members can gain experience. There are many sea beasts in the surrounding waters, and there are no restrictions on killing around Crescent Island. You can ask the other Saints in Bloodshadow Valley; they'll tell you how to get there."
Seeing that Bili had nothing else to add, Jason bowed and left the forbidden area.
"Crescent Island? A training ground only Saint-level cultivators can visit? Not bad. But why does it seem like it's specifically meant to collect souls for that Deity-level being?"
Jason examined the crystal ball, then put it away in his Interspatial Ring. "A full crystal ball contains the equivalent of one Soul Gold Bead, and one Soul Gold Bead is worth at least ten Saint-level souls. Yet it can only be exchanged for a Blue Jade Fruit worth one early-stage Saint-level soul. Even if labor is expensive, the difference shouldn't be that big, should it?"
But Jason had no choice. He had no way to refine Soul Gold Beads, so he could only collect souls and exchange them for Blue Jade Fruit. It was a seller's market, after all.
Another thing that puzzled Jason was the Deity-level being's injuries.
Bili had said that two Deity-level beings of the clan had survived, but their injuries were so severe that they had remained in seclusion.
What kind of injuries could keep a Deity-level being from recovering for thousands of years?
In Jason's view, the gods of the Coiling Dragon World had divine power to aid them. Given enough time, they could regenerate their bodies without any trouble. Even persistent injuries could be continuously treated with divine power until they eventually healed.
As long as an injury wasn't fatal, there was no reason it should take thousands of years to recover from.
Even if the injury was severe soul damage, judging by the crystal ball used to collect souls, the dozens of Saint-level cultivators within the Rhine Empire alone should have been able to gather enough souls over the past four thousand years to refine more than a dozen Soul Gold Beads.
More than a dozen Soul Gold Beads amounted to a considerable quantity of Soul Essence, even for a Midgod.
Could there be some strange methods among Deity-level beings that can leave one so badly injured that they can't recover for thousands of years?
When Jason returned to his room, Veronica, who had been waiting for him, threw her arms around him.
"Welcome back."
"Did you miss me these past few days?"
"Yes."
The twenty-nine-year-old Veronica showed a rare glimpse of a young girl's manner.
"What did you gain in the forbidden area?" Veronica asked.
"Crescent Island? It'll be a long time before I break through to the Saint level." Veronica pouted. "Still, that treasure really was powerful, raising your soul to the Saint level. But what does it mean that your soul is 'a sphere'?"
"Uh, a sphere? Maybe it has something to do with how many kinds of elemental affinities I have?"
Linley's soul was shaped like a sword, representing his talent for destruction-and Jason had a talent for destruction too.
Jason had no real idea what it meant. Many records described a sphere as a common soul form for Saint-level mages, with no particular significance.
He didn't dwell on the question.
Veronica said to Jason, "I don't want to use my dragonform anymore. I want to reach the Saint level through my own efforts."
Jason naturally understood what his girlfriend meant. If she didn't want to use her dragonform outside, she wouldn't be able to reach the Saint level anytime soon and accompany him to Crescent Island.
Saint-level cultivators had mentioned Crescent Island before. Any Saint-level cultivator on good terms with the Rhine Empire could apply to go there, and even Saint-level cultivators from outside the empire went there to train.
The island was under the direct control of the Rhine Clan, and the reigning emperor-in this case, Jason's father, Maisiji-controlled the available places. Of course, the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiends had their own way of getting there.
Besides, the Rhine Clan's management of Crescent Island was quite relaxed.
Jason held Veronica close. "It's all right. I'll wait for you. There are so many Saint-level cultivators on the Yulan Continent. Sparring with them one by one will keep me busy for twenty years."
Veronica's human form was currently at the peak of the eighth rank, and she had already touched upon the fire-element Profound Mysteries. Twenty years was enough for her to break through to the Saint level.
"Mm." Veronica nodded in Jason's arms.
"But first, we need to get married."
"Oh-"
Jason and Veronica's wedding was held at the Rhein imperial palace.
All of Jason's relatives in this life were present. Barek and Lucy, who had already entered Bloodshadow Valley, had also applied to return home temporarily. Bloodshadow Valley was fairly lenient in such matters.
Maisiji was still the Rhein emperor, and barring any surprises, he would remain on the throne for at least another hundred years.
Yunika brought her son and daughter, both now grown, to celebrate with Jason.
There were also Jason's mother, Imperial Consort Aidema, who looked somewhat older, and the empress, who had developed a few wrinkles.
Lucy had no children either, even after all these years. After marrying, she had discovered that she and her husband were completely incompatible, so once she broke through to become an Eighth-level Magus, she decisively went to Bloodshadow Valley to train.
Barek, on the other hand, had a house full of children and grandchildren, including two grandsons. He had gone to Bloodshadow Valley relatively late and had stayed only three years before coming out again to attend Jason's wedding.
Veronica still paid no attention to the Baruch Clan, though Jason had heard that it had fallen into complete decline.
The Radiant Church must have had a hand in it, and even if Jason, a Saint-level cultivator, wanted to help, there was nothing he could do.
However, the Baruch Clan and the other three Ultimate Warrior Clans were unlikely to die out. After all, to the two churches, they were "angel vessel manufacturers."
Jason had already decided to wait a few hundred years and see whether Linley would be born. If Linley couldn't be born as he had been in the original story, Jason would probably be capable of moving the Four Ultimate Warrior Clans to the Rhine Empire himself by then.
As long as he helped them activate their bloodlines, the Four Ultimate Warrior Clans could scatter the ashes of the two churches within a few decades. Jason had no liking for either church, and if he could, he wouldn't mind wiping them both out.
Veronica and Jason both wore red wedding clothes.
The style came from the tastes of the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiends, which had gradually influenced wedding attire in the Rhine Empire. It happened to match the customs of Jason's previous life.
The wedding was grand, but there were few guests. Veronica was alone, and Jason had few friends, so only his family and a few high-ranking ministers attended.
Since Jason was at the Saint-level, Maisiji hadn't made the wedding too involved. Those at the Saint-level needed to gradually leave worldly affairs behind.
The wedding kept them busy all day, and it wasn't until midnight that Jason finally reached their bridal chamber.
After bribing Linda the black cat to leave with a roast rabbit, Jason and Veronica finally embraced and kissed.