The King Of Warriors novel (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6476

"Some had pursued eternal life.

They had trained bitterly for 10 thousand years, only to fall short at the final step. Their souls had dropped into the Soulborn Forest, and their obsessions had not scattered."

"Some had pursued supreme power.

They had fought across the heavens, only to be surrounded and killed by stronger enemies in the end. Their bodies perished, their Dao vanished, and the mark they left behind refused to fade."

"Some had given themselves up for the sake of protecting their order, their kin, and their friends.

In the end, one person had not been enough to hold back the tide. Life and death split them apart, and what could never be set right remained forever."

"Some had crossed the myriad worlds for a single day of revenge.

In the end, their enemy had stood right before them, and they had been powerless to turn anything back. That refusal to accept it had been cut down to the bone."

"Countless bright days and broken ones. Countless meetings and separations. Countless victories and failures. Countless lives and deaths.

All of it had been sealed inside this one Elderheart Soulwood. Ages had settled into it. Obsessions had piled up inside it. Since time immemorial, none of it had dispersed."

"Jared carefully sensed the pain inside each strand of obsession, the refusal to yield, the things left unrepaired, and the things they had still reached for.

Too many flavors pressed into his chest at once. Each one found an echo there."

"He saw other people's endings.

He also saw his own shadow in them. If he failed, if he fell, then after some future day, he would be no different from them—an obsession sealed away, with no one left to remember."

"""So that was it... all of them were pitiful souls, all of them were guests of obsession,"" Jared murmured, his voice low.

Something in him bent toward those trapped lives."

"He did not resist those tangled obsessions.

He did not reject those bleak currents. He did not use the Aureate Codex to forcefully suppress them."

"Instead, he urged forth the Aureate Codex's gentle golden radiance.

The light turned into strand after strand of soft gold, lightly wrapping around every wisp of remnant-soul obsession. It settled over them with care, cleansed them bit by bit, and slowly smoothed away the cries and refusal that had endured for ages."

"The obsessions gradually quieted.

The remnant souls gradually steadied. All that turbulence transformed into pure, mild soul-nascence force, then slowly flowed back into the trunk of the Elderheart Soulwood, nourishing the Soulwood and completing its nascence."

Crack—

A crisp, faint splitting sound suddenly broke the stillness of the forest.

"On the trunk of the Elderheart Soulwood, a fine seam quietly opened.

An arm-length, flawless ebon Soulwood cutting slowly slipped free from within the crack, then hovered in the air before Jared's spirit, a dim black glow flowing over it in silence."

"The cutting was black from end to end, dark as ink.

Its surface was covered in fine natural golden markings, interlaced and flowing as they shone. It looked ancient and heavy, rich with dense soul aura, warm at the touch, and full of living spirituality."

"Jared raised a hand and gently caught the Elderheart Soulwood.

The moment it landed in his grasp, it was unbelievably smooth and warm. A mellow, long-lasting soul-nourishing force instantly poured into the depths of his spirit and flowed through every part of him."

"His spirit, which had been weak, dim, and covered in wounds, began healing and repairing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The nascence he had lost was rapidly replenished. The dulled violet light of his soul grew clear and bright again, shining with renewed vitality."

"His spirit stabilized.

His nascence filled out. His mind settled into peace."

The heavy stone in Jared's chest finally dropped all the way to the ground.

"The Elderheart Soulwood is in hand."

"He carefully put the Soulwood away and guarded it close.

Without lingering another moment, he turned into a streak of violet gleam and shot toward the light-gate exit of the Third Trial, beginning the way back."

*****

Thornwild Palace, the Hall of Stillness

"The hall was simple, old-fashioned, and refined.

Its furnishings were spare but grand, without much in the way of lavish decoration. Only four flagstone pillars held up the roof, and those pillars were carved all over with sigils meant to calm the mind, steady the soul, and guard the heart. Gentle spiritual essence lingered around them all year, making the place well suited for resting the spirit and smoothing over wounds."

"A thick prayer mat had been laid at the center of the hall.

Master Wellspring sat cross-legged on it, eyes closed, mind gathered, regulating his breath as he healed."

"Earlier, to protect Jared, deal with all sides, and run back and forth setting plans in motion, Master Wellspring had used nascence-wrought spiritual power several times.

It had worn down his foundation, reopened old wounds, and left his blood and vital energy badly depleted."

"By then, Master Wellspring's injuries had finally been stabilized, and his life was no longer hanging by a thread.

But his cultivation foundation had been damaged. His vital energy and blood still ran thin, leaving his face pale and worn, nowhere near the force he had carried in his prime.

If he wanted a full recovery, he would need a long stretch of quiet rest."

"His body was in seclusion.

His mind had not stopped for even a breath."

"His eyes remained closed, yet the crease between his brows never eased.

"Master Wellspring's gaze locked onto that violet soul.

In the next instant, his eyes shifted and landed on the black Soulwood cutting floating quietly beside it.

Light burst through his eyes."

"His face could no longer hold steady.

He shot to his feet, ignoring the injuries that had not yet healed, and strode forward to meet them."

"His eyes clung to the Elderheart Soulwood, then moved to Jared's soul.

His lips trembled, and when his voice came out, it pulled tight enough to nearly break.

""Aureate Heir! You... you made it out? The Elderheart Soulwood... you truly obtained it?"""

"Jared's violet soul brightened faintly.

His voice came level and unhurried, tempered by the trials he had endured, steadier and weightier than before.

""Yes. I got it. The three trials are over, and the Soulwood is in hand. I did not fail your trust."""

"Those six simple words reached Master Wellspring like music from beyond the clouds.

In a single instant, they pressed down the strain of all those days and lifted the 1,000-pound burden off him."

"Master Wellspring's eyes reddened at once.

Old tears nearly slipped free.

Too many things crashed together inside him—the fact Jared had lived, the fact the path had not been severed, and the long ruinous road that had somehow opened again."

"He bowed deeply to Jared, his courtesy exact and reverent.

His voice had gone hoarse, each word carrying weight.

""The Aureate Heir has suffered greatly, and the Aureate Heir has been blessed! Heaven protected you. Mr. Chance guarded you. The revival of our Aureate Way has hope now!"""

"With this Elderheart Soulwood, only the final Genesis Dew remains. Once yin and yang are joined, we can recast the Aureate Heir's supreme true body, restore your Top Level cultivation, avenge every grievance, and rebuild the prestige of the Aureate Way!"

"Morgana walked to the main seat in the hall and sat down.

She lifted a jade cup and took a small sip of spirit tea.

Her expression still did not shift, but a faint trace crossed the depths of her eyes—so slight it was almost impossible to catch, as if what she had seen had met her measure."

"From beginning to end, she did not say much.

She only listened in silence, neither cutting in nor disturbing them, leaving the two of them to speak."