“Buried under that pillar, and that pillar has such a special feature, it probably isn’t anything good,” Shu Jianyue said, picking up the cocoon-like object.

It doesn't look like an egg, nor does it look like a stone, and it has nothing to do with jade.

Apart from some natural patterns, there is nothing else on it.

Shu Jianyue tossed it around; it was quite heavy. She then probed it with her mental energy but found nothing.

Just as I was about to take out a knife and cut it open along the lines to take a look, it came straight up to me.

Shu Jianyue put down the knife she was about to use and said, "Come in."

Chao Tian walked in and saw the thing lying unharmed on the table, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Master, this is a Soul-Gathering Stone. There might be a soul inside."

"A Soul-Gathering Stone?" Shu Jianyue looked at him in surprise. "How did you know?"

Chong Jiu also looked at him.

Chao Tian said, "I saw it from the bottom of that pillar. It had a description of the thing written on it, but it didn't say whether there was a soul inside."

"There should be one, otherwise it wouldn't be trapped under that stone pillar," Shu Jianyue said, looking at the Soul-Binding Stone on the table.

"I just don't know whose soul might be inside."

Shu Jianyue looked at Chaotian and asked, "Does it say how to tell if there's a soul inside, or how to release the soul inside?"

Chao Tian shook his head and said, "There were no instructions on how to view or place it, but it did mention that if it is damaged by external forces, the soul inside will be completely destroyed." This is why he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Soul-Binding Stone was still intact.

Chong Jiu picked up the Soul-Gathering Stone and examined it. He knew about Soul-Gathering Stones, but he had never seen one before.

Thinking of the books in the study, he stood up and said, "I'll go to the study and see if there's any record of it."

Shu Jianyue stood up and said, "I'll go with you, and we can see if there are any books we want to read."

Seeing this, Chaotian wisely took his leave and returned to the imperial palace to continue his oversight.

Upon arriving at the study, Chongjiu tried to recall which book he had read about the Soul-Transfer Stone in and began searching for it.

Shu Jianyue didn't disturb him and started looking for the book she wanted to read.

Her curiosity about the Soul Stone lasted only a moment. As for whether there was a soul inside, she didn't care, since it wouldn't be someone she knew.

This soul-binding stone has clearly been buried there for a long time, so it has nothing to do with her.

Chongjiu quickly found the book about the Soul-Gathering Stone, flipped through it, and found out how to release the soul inside.

He wasn't a reckless person, so he didn't immediately check if there was a soul inside.

He approached Shu Jianyue and found her reading a travelogue. Not wanting to disturb her, he took a book and sat down beside her to read as well. The two of them quietly read in the study for the entire afternoon before finally leaving.

Once outside in the courtyard, Chong Jiu took out the Soul Stone to check if there was a soul inside. To his surprise, there really was a soul inside.

After thinking about it for a while, Chong Jiu released him anyway.

When he saw the spirit, Chong Jiu frowned, and even Shu Jian Yue was surprised for a moment.

Because that was none other than a boundless soul.

"What's going on?" Shu Jianyue looked at the Boundless Soul with its eyes closed.

Chong Jiu shook his head. "Given his current state, I'm afraid we won't be able to get anything out of him."

Shu Jianyue looked at it for a while and said, "Could it be a case of a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest?"

It must have been a long time ago when someone extracted its soul, and it has been trapped in the Soul-Binding Stone ever since.

As for who did it, it's obvious without even thinking about it.

However, it should also be related to that swamp.

"When dealing with Wujie, did you see his soul?" This kind of evil technique of forcibly taking over someone else's body is probably only something that evil cultivators know.

Chong Jiu shook his head and said, "I haven't gone to see it. Apart from me, they can't see the soul either."

Wujie has already been dealt with, so there's no point in saying anything now. Even if we wanted to send him back to his original body, we couldn't.

Shu Jianyue looked at the soul in front of her and asked, "Should this be sent to the underworld, or..."

The actions of that Boundless One cannot be attributed to him either.

"Wait a minute, how come I can see this soul? I couldn't see it before." Shu Jianyue looked at Chong Jiu in surprise.

Chong Jiu looked at her and said, "Didn't you see it last time too?"

"Wasn't that because of you last time?" Shu Jianyue blinked.

"Okay, whatever the reason, it's good to be able to see it."

Chong Jiu didn't think it was a good thing, but he liked it so much that he didn't say anything. "Send him to the underworld. No matter what the reason, that Wujie has already been punished."

After saying that, he sent Wujie away. He may have been innocently implicated, but it was his fate to have his body taken over.

"Let's go back and discuss the details of your ascension to the throne. The imperial robes will be delivered tomorrow, and we need to refine many things."

As he spoke, Chong Jiu led her back to her bedchamber, took out a folded document, and carefully reviewed it with her.

Shu Jianyue looked at the thick document and felt a headache coming on. "So many procedures to go through?"

“This is a simplified version,” Chong Jiu said, raising an eyebrow and smiling at her.