Chapter 164 9-Eyed Sky Soul Pearl

Chapter 164: Nine-Eyed Celestial Soul Pearl

After leaving the Tranquil Heart Garden, Old Wang made a trip to the Jinbeibei Auction House.

He had already visited once before taking Kela and the others for a meal, but Clara wasn't there. According to Soraka, she might return in the evening, but when he went over from the Tranquil Heart Garden, he missed her again.

Having failed twice, Old Wang felt a bit regretful. He was planning to leave tomorrow and had hoped to see the mermaid princess one last time. After all, he had received a token of the sea clan, and more importantly, he had lost his first kiss here. A real man couldn't let that go without getting it back...

Old Wang obtained a box from Soraka and left a note inside with a clue—breaking the sea clan's curse required finding the first branch of the bloodline that was with Wang Meng back then.

Of course, he only provided a starting point, which was enough to satisfy Clara. As for what the sea clan thought or did, and whether they could achieve it, that was their own business.

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed.

Everything he needed for his departure had been packed long ago. Old Wang carried a bag on his back and held another large bag full of array materials.

First, to the Rune Academy!

The early morning at the Foundry dormitory was very quiet, with almost no one around. Feeling the fresh air of this world and looking at the path he had walked countless times, Old Wang's excited steps involuntarily slowed down.

Thinking about it, all his friends were taken care of, and he had no worries. But suddenly, he felt he wanted to see someone else, Brother Da.

To be honest, this was the person who hurt him the most, truly hurting him!

But for some reason, whenever he thought of Brother Da, there was an indescribable feeling.

Without a doubt, he had to turn Brother Da into an NPC, but whether to have him kneel outside Sun City to be whipped or serve as a bed warmer for the Creator God... he was a bit conflicted. Well, he would decide after returning.

As for saying goodbye, it wasn't really a matter of whether he wanted to or not.

For one thing, Brother Da was too cunning and probably didn't care much about his farewell. If he sensed the melodramatic tone of his final words, he might suddenly imprison him, which would be truly unfair.

Old Wang found a satisfactory reason for himself: "Let's go!"

Li Sitan had previously said that if Old Wang needed to use the meditation room, he could go anytime. Old Wang hadn't planned to disturb Li Sitan and had already registered for the meditation room yesterday. However, he unexpectedly saw Li Sitan waiting for him when he arrived.

Old Wang felt a bit guilty; Li Sitan must have peeked at the registration form...

"Hi, Senior Brother Li Sitan!" Old Wang greeted him with a smile: "Good morning!"

"Junior Brother," Li Sitan smiled warmly, not intending to beat around the bush. He simply asked, "I saw you registered to use the meditation room yesterday. Have you had new insights?"

"Yes..." Old Wang hadn't expected to meet Li Sitan and hadn't prepared any response, so he felt a bit awkward.

"Do you need any help?"

Old Wang had been thinking of how to brush him off, but hearing Li Sitan's offer, he felt a bit embarrassed.

What a good senior brother, always caring for him, no matter how busy or tired. Truly, since coming to this world, Li Sitan was the only one who had treated him wholeheartedly, without any ulterior motives or expectations of return, just giving and giving.

Yet, when he was about to leave, he had forgotten to say goodbye to the person who had been the best to him.

Even with a thick skin like Old Wang's, he felt he deserved a slap for being such a jerk...

"Senior Brother, it's about the Third Order runes. I have some ideas I want to test," Old Wang said seriously, looking up.

"You've mastered them?" Li Sitan was incredulous.

"Yes, actually, it's not that difficult. The runes of the first three orders have high inheritance and can be extrapolated."

"..." Li Sitan was speechless. Yin Fu had mentioned that Wang Feng was already working on Third Order runes, but he thought it was because Wang Feng had hit a bottleneck with Second Order runes and was seeking inspiration.

How long had his junior brother been studying runes? Six months? Even the genius Principal Karida took two years to transition from Second Order to Third Order. His junior brother's talent was truly despair-inducing.

Heaven has eyes, roses bloom!

"Junior Brother, I feel like retiring. It sounds easy, but doing it is hard. Your talent is unparalleled," Li Sitan sincerely rejoiced for Wang Feng.

"Senior Brother, when I finished learning the Third Order runes, I had a hunch. What if we arranged the runes of the first three orders according to certain rules, would it produce reactions?" Wang Feng threw out his idea, hoping to give Li Sitan some direction.

"Are you suggesting combining them to create new runes?"

"Not exactly new, but runes have mutual generation and suppression. The first three orders are closely linked. If combined well, there might be remarkable effects. So I want to try."

"Junior Brother, no one has ever accomplished this. Go ahead and do it. I'll handle the rest!" Li Sitan said, fully aware of the complexity involved, needing absolute peace without any disturbance. "Do you have everything you need for seclusion?"

"I'm well-prepared." Old Wang patted his bulging backpack with a smile: "Enough for a month or two."

Li Sitan nodded approvingly, seeing that his junior brother was serious and well-prepared.

Watching Wang Feng's back, Li Sitan was delighted. Finally, his junior brother had returned to the path of runes, the true path.

...

Aurora City was undoubtedly a tiny place in the vast Nine Heavens Continent. Although Wang Feng caused a small stir, it was merely a ripple in the vast ocean.

In the Sea of Altan.

The mermaid capital city of Alonso was a magnificent underwater metropolis, more prosperous than most human cities. Various sea clans flowed through its streets, benefiting from both the prosperity and technology brought by human conflicts. This great civilization was unseen by most humans, who believed the sea clan no longer posed a threat.

Hundreds of miles away from the capital, in a forbidden area, hundreds of mermaid arcanists stood on a grand sacrificial platform over three hundred meters tall. Each arcanist chanted rhythmically, channeling terrifying arcane power into a massive teleportation array at the top of the altar.

At the top of the altar stood five figures, all members of the mermaid royal family. Four young ones stood at each corner, two males and two females, while the middle figure was slightly older and wore the most splendid attire, with a crown indicating her status as the mermaid queen, one of the three sea clan kings. The arcanists activated the pyramid's energy, continuously supplying α6-level soul crystals, forming a golden protective barrier around her. However, the majestic mermaid queen appeared lifeless, her eyes devoid of spirit, merely a shell.

The ritual had been ongoing for days. The two males and two females were the four heirs of the mermaid royal family, the only ones qualified to guard the ceremony.

The ritual was highly secretive, requiring significant effort to maintain confidentiality. Among the three sea clans—sea dragons, giant whales, and mermaids—there were constant alliances and rivalries, each vying to become the sea emperor and restore the sea clan's dominance. The prerequisite for all this was solving the curse of the Supreme Saint.

Since the Supreme Saint shattered the void a century ago, every generation of the sea race's king has aimed for this goal, trying their best with little success. However, there is one thing that can absolutely break the curse. Not only that, whoever possesses it becomes the new ruler of the Nine Heavens Continent.

That is the source of the Supreme Saint's overwhelming power—the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Soul Pearl.

It must be said that in human legends, the Supreme Saint is portrayed as a towering embodiment of justice. But he had one flaw—he was lustful, gathering beauties from all races around him. Men, when faced with beautiful women, have no secrets. The mermaid clan obtained this secret.

The Nine-Eyed Heavenly Soul Pearl consists of nine pearls. Collecting all nine grants the wielder godlike power, omnipotent and limitless. However, with the Supreme Saint shattering the void, the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Soul Pearls also vanished.

So, on the Nine Heavens Continent, such a legend circulates, but no one really cares because no one has truly seen them.

Yet, the real reason is that it is true.

One of the Three-Eyed Heavenly Soul Pearls is in the hands of the mermaid queen. It is a symbol of royal lineage and the transmission of power. Before the Supreme Saint shattered the void, he left it to his daughter, the mermaid princess, as a token. Whoever holds the Heavenly Soul Pearl can sense its birth—it’s very mysterious. You would know of its existence and approximate location, but once it recognizes its master, the connection is lost.

Three years ago, she sensed a new Heavenly Soul Pearl about to appear. Clearly, those who truly know the secret wouldn't wait for the Heavenly Soul Pearl to manifest; it would trigger an unpredictable war.

Seizing the Heavenly Soul Pearl before its manifestation is the best approach. Among the sea races, the mermaid clan knows how to enter the soul realm—another legacy left by the Supreme Saint.

In the forbidden zone of the capital city of the Nine Gods Empire.

Emperor Long Kang shows no signs of aging on his face. Creatures on the Nine Heavens Continent who break through the soul force barrier gain extended life. Legend says that obtaining all nine Heavenly Soul Pearls grants eternal life, which is every emperor's dream.

The true emperor of the Nine Heavens Continent is the Supreme Saint. Although he loved beauties more than his empire, no one else is worthy.

Currently, surrounding Long Kang are the Nine Gods' top experts. In the massive rune array, high-level soul crystals shine like stars.

When Long Kang obtained the Five-Eyed Heavenly Soul Pearl ten years ago, the allure of power waned. Gathering all nine Heavenly Soul Pearls would make him the new emperor of the Nine Heavens Continent, an eternal emperor. Shattering the void holds no appeal for him.

This is the first time he senses a new Heavenly Soul Pearl's birth. Long Kang is determined to claim it and prepares thoroughly. He also knows others will try, and he wants to find out who they are.

Those who truly possess the Heavenly Soul Pearl will do everything to hide it. For the Heavenly Soul Pearl, anything can be sacrificed.

The immense energy of the massive rune array appears to outsiders as the emperor's dedication to cultivation.

...

On the other side, Wang Feng's mood is still somewhat complex. The meditation room is quiet, and when the heavy iron door closes, Old Wang feels a sense of farewell to the world.

Everything has been arranged, and Old Wang no longer hesitates.

The pitch-black silence stone eliminates all sound within the room. Carefully removing the items from his backpack and arranging them neatly, he begins!

Etching the rune array took about an hour. When finished, placing the exquisite α5-level soul crystal on it, unlike last time, the entire teleportation array instantly lit up. Abundant energy quickly illuminated all the lines of the array, shining brightly. If not for the non-reflective nature of the black silence stone, Old Wang might have had trouble keeping his eyes open.

Clara truly is impressive; this soul crystal is top-notch!

The boundary tablet in his hand naturally responds to the abundant energy without any need for activation. Countless bright star points continuously emerge from the array, converging on the tablet. The originally black tablet now glows crystalline and brilliant, filled with energy, trembling slightly in Old Wang's hand.

Old Wang's heart skips a beat. Damn, can it handle this?

To be fair, the tablet was a bit crudely made, using imperfect materials. Handling α4-level energy is fine, but now...

With just a moment's hesitation, the teleportation array activates swiftly. Countless light points, corresponding to the tablet, begin spinning around Old Wang, centering on him. Within moments, he is transported to a world of swirling light and black-and-white patterns.

Familiar transit space. Unlike the failed teleportation last time, the ring representing the tablet's energy is almost fully charged.

With the previous coordinates in mind, Old Wang ignores the thousands of small points around him and focuses on the extremely bright point above. Raising the tablet, his consciousness connects instantly, and he is pulled upward by an invisible thread.

There it is, Earth's coordinates.

...

What the hell? Wang Feng suddenly sees dozens of lights heading toward his target... This...

Is it a mass return of transmigrators? Could it be so coincidental?

Or are fellow travelers from other worlds reporting here?