Damien Gray's inner strength had long surpassed the limits known to most, while Morgan Shangguan's spiritual power remained a mystery to all. In an environment like this, their abilities were certainly restricted, but not entirely unusable.
Ignoring the others' concerns, Damien Gray stopped and immediately pulled Morgan Shangguan, tossing her toward a pillar on the other side. It didn't seem too difficult. Under normal circumstances, no one would pay this scene any mind, but in this situation, no one dared dismiss it as a mere trick.
Liam Duanmu watched Morgan Shangguan, his eyes filled with complexity. What kind of person was she, really? He realized he had never truly understood her!
Under the watchful gaze of the others, the two walked off into the distance, disappearing from sight. Maxwell Jing nudged Ethan Gu and asked, 'So what now? Do we just wait here?'
Unable to help in any way, he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated—and worried.
'His Highness and Princess Consort will be fine!' Ethan Gu replied in a low, steady voice.
After finally making it past all those pillars, Morgan Shangguan let out a long breath and frowned. 'Looks like I really haven't exercised in ages!'
Damien Gray wrapped his arm around her and smiled teasingly. 'Are you sure it's been that long since you exercised?'
Morgan Shangguan paused, then tugged him forward, unwilling to waste words on his banter.
Damien Gray chuckled softly, letting her pull him along. Suddenly, something caught his eye. He stopped, grabbed Morgan Shangguan, and pointed ahead.
Morgan Shangguan looked up, her expression turning serious. There was a line of text—tiny, barely visible from this distance unless one's eyesight was exceptional.
The cause of chaos, the mandate to save the world.
It was just like the third prophecy Grandmaster Xuan Tian had left on the table: 'Cause of chaos, mandate to save.' Did Grandmaster Xuan Tian set up this trial just to show them this? Morgan Shangguan didn't think so.
She pulled Damien Gray closer and examined the eight characters carefully. They were carved into the wall, but instead of the usual dull gray, the strokes shimmered with a gentle blue glow.
Damien Gray stepped forward, pressing two fingers together, tracing the outline of the characters. Then he pried open the section of the wall where they were carved, revealing a jade pendant glowing faintly blue, its surface inscribed with talismanic patterns.
Morgan Shangguan's eyes widened in surprise. 'The Jade Seal?'
The Shangguan Family had always guarded the ruins of the Ghost Kingdom, and the Jade Seal was its national treasure, passed down through generations. Since Morgan took charge of the family, she had been its keeper—she knew it well.
For the Jade Seal to appear in this world—did it mean the legendary Ghost Kingdom would also surface here? Perhaps this world and her original one were connected! Maybe they shared the same space, only separated by time. Yet, there was no record of Silvermoon or Azure Kingdoms in history, and even the Ghost Kingdom had never appeared. Why was that?
The Ghost Kingdom bore the surname Shangguan, living alongside spirits. All these threads seemed tied to the Shangguan Family. Legend had it that the people of the Ghost Kingdom vanished overnight, leaving only empty cities behind. What had truly happened?
If she hadn't appeared, the Ghost Kingdom would surely have returned, only to vanish overnight as the legend said. But her arrival was bound to disrupt something. History might never follow its original path, and perhaps these mysteries would remain unsolved.
Was her arrival a blessing or a curse? Feeling Damien Gray's arm tighten around her waist, Morgan Shangguan snapped back to reality, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. Whatever it meant for this world, for her and Damien, her presence was a good thing.
Morgan Shangguan reached out and took the jade pendant, her eyes thoughtful. Could this be the artifact that granted boundless power and dominion over the world? She had guarded it for so long, yet never discovered any such effect!
A clear, ringing sound echoed—'Ding...'
Suddenly, something flew from Damien Gray and instantly merged with the Jade Seal in Morgan Shangguan's hand.
It was the Xuan Tian Jade Pendant, marked with the characters 'Xuan Tian,' which Damien Gray had found at the bottom of a cliff. Because the treasure was linked to Grandmaster Xuan Tian, Damien had kept it with him.
The white jade, carved with clouds and a crane, seemed to melt, merging into the Jade Seal. The blue glow of the Jade Seal faded, but its luster grew warmer and richer. When the fusion was complete, a sudden burst of blue light made Morgan squint, but her sense of touch told her the Jade Seal had split into two pieces.
In the Hall of Yama, King Yama, who had been scolding a little ghost, suddenly stood up and gazed into the distance, his expression inscrutable. After a long moment, he sat back down and murmured, 'My precious granddaughter, you will be happy. I won't let anyone hurt you again—not even that brat!'
When the intense blue light faded, Morgan Shangguan looked at the pendant in her hand and found that the original Jade Seal had become a pair of Dragon and Phoenix Pendants.
Morgan Shangguan frowned. Was the Jade Seal truly the artifact that could grant limitless power? She still couldn't see anything special about it. The Dragon and Phoenix Pendants were only more beautiful than ordinary ones, but since they could split themselves, they must be unique.
Morgan Shangguan handed the Dragon Pendant to Damien Gray. 'Take a look.'
But as soon as Damien Gray took the Dragon Pendant, it sprang to life, darting into his body in an instant. The Phoenix Pendant in Morgan Shangguan's hand did the same, shooting into her body.
No one had time to react. Both Damien and Morgan's expressions darkened—they could feel their powers vanishing. Damien's inner strength and Morgan's spiritual energy had disappeared without a trace.
Was this artifact meant to grant power—or to take it away?
A faint glow flickered on the wall, and in the spot where the Jade Seal had rested, four characters appeared: 'Returned to its rightful owner!'
Damien and Morgan's faces remained grim. Except for meeting each other and losing control of their hearts, nothing had ever truly slipped from their grasp. But now, this was something beyond their control—and that was far from reassuring.
This chapter isn't over yet~ Please click 'Next Page' to continue reading!