Chapter 4 — The Secret Behind the Jade

“Aaaa—!” I screamed miserably, feeling like the blood in my body was freezing! Countless distorted, malicious images and hysterical screams echoed in my head! Kill! Kill! Kill! Die! All must die! Painful! Hopeless! Hatred! My eyes were dark, my head hurt like it was about to explode, my soul felt like it was being torn apart! Just as I was about to be swallowed up by that terrible wave of resentment— Bee! The jade piece on my chest burst into an unprecedented brilliance! A warm, vast, pure force like the morning sun surged out from my chest! In the blink of an eye, it dispelled the cold resentment that was invading my body! That stream of power was so powerful that it was completely overwhelming, rushing straight towards the box in my hand! The box trembled violently, emitting a shrill sound, the black patterns on the surface seemed to come to life, wriggling, struggling, and spraying thick black gas to fight back. But that warm force was too powerful, like fire in a furnace, pressing down and burning away all darkness! “Huh.” A very light hum, carrying a bit of contempt, echoed in my head. It's... a piece of jade! Immediately after that, that stream of power receded quickly. The black gas on the box seemed to be swallowed up, completely disappearing in just a split second! The echo also immediately disappeared. The black patterns on the box lost all light, became gray and old, and even the smell of blood was gone. The box now looked like an ordinary object, even a bit worn out. The resentment that almost killed me... completely disappeared. I fell to the ground, my whole body covered in cold sweat, panting as if I had just been fished out of the water. The piece of jade on his chest gradually cooled, returning to a warm, comfortable state. An extremely weak thought, carrying a bit of fatigue, came: "Hold it carefully." I still hadn't recovered, staring at the box that now looked "harmless" in my hand. The terrifying aura just now, and the power that erupted from the jade... were all true. "What is this... exactly?" I asked with a trembling voice. The jade piece did not answer. It seemed that after using too much force, it fell asleep again. I put the box — now normal again — in the most private part of my shirt. Crawled out of the hole, pretended nothing had happened, and continued cleaning. Return to your accommodation, wait until late, when everything is quiet. I dared to take the box out to study it. The box does not have a lock, but the edges fit very tightly. I tried to pry gently, but it didn't budge at all. "Can't open it." I mumbled to the jade. It still didn't respond. I flipped it back and forth, looking closely at the box. On the underside of the box, there seemed to be some tiny, almost worn, ancient letters engraved. I leaned closer, trying to recognize it through the moonlight. "Phong... Ma... Hap?"Phong Ma Hap? I was startled. This name... sounds scary. Inside the demon seal? Could that flow of resentment just now be the remnants of the demon sealed here? Then the jade piece... was sucked clean? So now the box is… empty? I shivered, didn't dare to think any more, and quickly put the box away. This thing... is too evil. Life returns to normal. The jade piece fell into a deep sleep state, with only occasional warm reactions. I continued to sweep up animal droppings and take care of Lao Thanh. I was harassed by the manager and heard the housekeepers in the same room gossiping. Until a month later. The sect suddenly became bustling. Lanterns hung everywhere, everyone's faces were full of excitement. When I asked about it, I found out that it was because the Great Mountain Opening Ceremony to receive disciples every ten years was about to begin. More importantly, the legend - Van Triet Immortal Venerable - after a hundred years of seclusion, has finally come out! Van Triet Immortal Venerable! The guarding soul of Thanh Van Tong! Legendary character with supernatural cultivation,

Don't care about worldly affairs, travel all year round or seclude yourself! An existence that makes the whole world of cultivators look up! And he will personally preside over this great mountain opening ceremony! The entire sect shook. Even the housekeeping disciples like us are required to clean the spirit beast park inside and out, what if the Immortal Venerable passes by? I heard people talking excitedly without any emotion. Immortal Venerable? To me... too far away. What I'm most worried about right now is Lao Thanh. Lately, his spirit has gotten worse and worse, he barely eats anything. I secretly gave the softest part of my spirit fruit to it, but it only tried to lick it a few times as a show of appreciation. Looking into its dull, light-less eyes, my heart felt aching. Today, with great difficulty, I was able to get some low-grade spiritual herbs with the effect of increasing energy from the sister in charge of the pharmacy. Taking advantage of the empty lunch break, I sneaked into Lao Thanh's cage. "Lao Thanh, look what I brought you today?" I called it softly, then brought the linguine branch to my mouth. Lao Thanh slowly raised his head, sniffed it, then slowly put his tongue out to wrap around a stem, chewing it with difficulty. I sadly stroked its dry mane. At that moment—“Cough.”