Chapter 46: Emperor Hun Tian's Speculation

Without finding the ancient jade, Gu Yun, Gu Shen, and the others waited until Xun'er's mood improved a little before taking her back to their tribe.

  Back in the ancient world, Gu Yun and Gu Shen went to the main hall to find Gu Yuan.

  They reported the entire situation to Gu Yuan in detail.

  This matter was of no small importance, so Gu Yuan directly contacted the elders of the Gu clan and convened a meeting.

  Inside the meeting room.

  "Chief, you called us to this meeting. Is there something important happening?"

  The first to speak was Gu Dao, one of the three immortals.

  Gu Dao was the supreme elder of the Gu clan, and his realm was the late Seven-Star Dou Sheng. Except for Gu Yuan and other elders who had been in office for a long time, no one could compare to him in status.

  The other elders also looked at Gu Yuan in confusion.

  "I summoned you here this time to discuss the matter of the Xiao clan's ancient jade."

  "Xiao clan's ancient jade? Does the clan leader know the whereabouts of the ancient jade?"

  These elders were aware that the Soul Palace had surrounded and attacked the Xiao family some time ago but did not find the ancient jade.

  "Just a few days ago, people from the Soul Palace captured Xiao Yan from the Xiao Clan, and the ancient jade was on Xiao Yan's body. I sent Elder Gu Yun to retrieve him, but unfortunately, Hun Mie Sheng escaped."

  Gu Yuan briefly explained the situation.

  One of the elders exclaimed: "What? Doesn't that mean the Xiao clan's ancient jade has fallen into the hands of the Soul clan?"

  Gu Yuan responded, "That's right, so I called everyone here to discuss this matter with you."

  Gu Xuan, the five-star Dou Sheng, angrily said, "Clan leader, the Soul Clan is ambitious and has now openly violated their oath by snatching the Xiao clan's ancient jade. We can't let this go."

  Gu Yuan asked, "Then what do you elders suggest we do?"

  "Chief, the Soul Clan has blatantly broken their oath. Why don't we take this opportunity to unite with the other five clans to attack the Soul Clan!"

  Gu Yuan sighed helplessly, "I also want to destroy the Soul Clan, but I'm afraid the other five clans won't assist us."

  The relationships among the ancient families were now very complicated. The Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan, two families with nine-star Dou Shengs, both wanted to destroy each other to collect the eight pieces of ancient jade.

  Thus, Gu Yuan also hoped to form an alliance and destroy the Soul Clan.

  If the Soul Clan were wiped out and the Ancient Clan recuperated, they could attack the other clans one by one, collect the ancient jades, and open the cave.

  The patriarchs of the Lei and Yan tribes were both in the late eight-star Dou Sheng stage, and the two tribes were strong allies. Together, they could barely fight against the Gu tribe.

  The Medicine Clan, the Spirit Clan, and the Stone Clan were in a similar situation. The Medicine Clan's patriarch, Yao Dan, had the strength of a seven-star Dou Sheng, but the patriarchs of the Stone Clan and the Spirit Clan only had the strength of a six-star Dou Sheng. They wouldn't be able to resist a nine-star Dou Sheng.

  These ancient families were not fools. They knew that if the Soul Clan were destroyed, no one would be able to restrain Gu Yuan. So, in order to maintain stability, they would most likely refuse an alliance.

  Why interfere when you can watch the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan fight? 

  Even if they agreed to an alliance, they likely wouldn't give it their all.

  After hearing Gu Yuan's reasoning, the other elders fell silent.

  Without the other families contributing, they didn't dare attack the Soul Clan.

  Gu Yuan said, "In that case, let's think about it for now. Once you've come to a decision, we'll discuss it together."

  Seeing the elders' silence, Gu Yuan realized that the matter of the Soul Clan stealing the ancient jade would have to be set aside for now.

  …

  Soul Realm.

  At this time, a disheveled Hun Mie Sheng returned to the Soul Realm. He didn't take time to recover; instead, he went directly to Emperor Hun Tian to report the news.

  Inside the Soul Clan Hall.

  A handsome man in his thirties, dressed in a gray-white robe, sat in the main seat. Judging by his appearance, he seemed like a gentleman.

  It was hard to associate such an image with the patriarch of the sinister Soul Clan.

  That man was Emperor Hun Tian, the patriarch of the Soul Clan.

  Unlike Gu Yuan, who was often indecisive, Emperor Hun Tian was ruthless and would do anything to achieve his goals.

  Thus, in the Soul Clan, Emperor Hun Tian had the final say.

  In front of Emperor Hun Tian, Hun Mie Sheng knelt on the ground.

  Seeing Hun Mie Sheng's miserable state, Emperor Hun Tian said slowly, "Hun Mie Sheng, I sent you to collect souls in Zhongzhou. How did you end up like this?"

  "Clan leader, I received a report a few days ago that they had captured the Xiao clan's survivor, Xiao Yan, in the northwest continent. I went there myself to retrieve the ancient jade. However, Xiao Yan was already dead, and the ancient jade wasn't on him. I suspected that the guardian who captured Xiao Yan hid the ancient jade, but before I could torture him, two four-star Dou Shengs from the Ancient Clan arrived at the Soul Palace. Knowing I couldn't win, I fled with the guardian."

  Understanding that his clan leader disliked wasting time, Hun Mie Sheng told him everything.

  "Oh?"

  Emperor Hun Tian's bright eyes turned toward Yinshan, as if he could see through people's hearts.

  Yinshan, trembling below, quickly explained, "Clan… Clan leader, I swear I didn't hide the ancient jade. I found Xiao Yan outside the Soul Palace, and when I picked him up, he was already dead."

  After observing for a moment, Emperor Hun Tian slowly said, "He doesn't seem to be lying. It likely wasn't him who hid the ancient jade."

  Hun Mie Sheng asked, "But, clan leader, if the ancient jade wasn't with Xiao Yan, why did the Ancient Clan come for it?"

  Emperor Hun Tian stared at Yinshan and asked, "When you found Xiao Yan, was there anything unusual about him?"

  "Unusual? Oh, right! Clan leader, there was a sub-fire of the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame next to Xiao Yan."

  Yinshan suddenly remembered and quickly added.

  Emperor Hun Tian raised an eyebrow, "The Golden Emperor's Burning Sky Flame?"

  The Golden Emperor's Burning Sky Flame was the inherited flame of the Ancient Clan. How could it be near Xiao Yan?

  This, combined with the fact that the Ancient Clan came to retrieve the ancient jade, made Emperor Hun Tian's mind race. Could it be that Gu Yuan killed Xiao Yan and left his body at the Soul Palace to frame the Soul Clan? Could the ancient jade actually be in Gu Yuan's hands?

  If that were the case, then why did they leave the Golden Emperor's Burning Sky Flame with Xiao Yan? Wouldn't that expose the Ancient Clan?

  Seeing his clan leader deep in thought, Hun Mie Sheng hesitantly asked, "Clan leader…?"

  Emperor Hun Tian replied, "Take him away for now. I need time to think."