Gao Jun looked down and his brows furrowed instantly: "What is this?"

"The Earth Spirit Stone, a treasure I stole from the Icefield Battlefield, is stored in the Jade Capital City Underground Palace, guarded by the Icefield King for over a dozen centuries..."

Upon hearing Gao Quan's words, Gao Jun's expression changed slightly. The Jade Capital City... the underground palace... the Ice Plains King... these terms were all beyond his expectations.

"I asked you who you are," Gao Jun repeated, his face calm, as he held the hunting knife in his hand and pressed it against Gao Quan's neck.

Gao Quan's pupils contracted slightly. With this one slash, he could easily wipe out the sun and never see the next day.

“My name is Quanbu, I come from Xianxian City, and I’m an observer on the Icefield Battlefield. Your military’s high command should know us…”

"..." Gao Jun remained silent. Where was Xianxian City? What was an observer? He had no idea.

Only high-ranking military officials knew about the underwater people; it was Qin Che, the Pope, and others who sensed them. In recent decades, even Li Xin and Wu Ming had not discovered them.

Seeing that Gao Jun was confused, Gao Quan briefly explained his background.

“Sea people… I see. I’ve heard of you. The prince heard your legends when he was clearing the ice plains.” Gao Jun’s grip on the hunting knife loosened slightly.

“That’s right. Our mission is to investigate the imperial ruins and the truth behind the empire’s destruction. For the past sixty years, both of our branches were trapped in the projection world. For the next sixty years, because the Wastelanders were becoming more and more active in the Ice Plains, the branch leaders decided to follow you. That’s how we slowly found the path you left behind. Gao Jun, I have no ill intentions. The Sea People just want to find out the truth. You killed our captain, and he was corrupted by the Earth Spirit Stone. I don’t want to take this thing with me anymore. If you take it back, it will be a great achievement and will definitely make you a high-ranking noble in Leopard Court!”

Gao Jun sneered: "Then why did you get close to my elder brother?"

Gao Quan smiled bitterly, "I'm new here, so I can only try to survive. Your elder brother is a good man; he took me in once when I was almost starving to death."

"You really have no other ideas?"

"No, there really isn't!"

Gao Jun remained silent for a long time, then took the earth spirit stone that he was handed over. Feeling uneasy, he searched his body again.

Gao Quan spread his hands, shook his head, and laughed, "No need to search me. Besides this, the most valuable thing I have is my life."

“I don’t want your life. As for where you go back to, I don’t care. I’ll take this stone as payment for the ten days or so my elder brother took you in.”

Gao Quan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could survive, that was better than anything else. He even looked back at the captain's corpse to confirm that he was dead.

With his skull pierced and his brain destroyed, he could not survive even though he was controlled by the natural psionic energy within the Earth Spirit Stone.

Gao Quan watched Gao Jun warily, fearing that he too would be corrupted by the energy in the essence stone. He couldn't help but take two steps back, dodging Gao Jun's hunting knife, and got up from the ground.

"I'm going home. Don't worry, I won't appear in your world anymore." Gao Quan dusted himself off, his attitude very sincere.

Gao Jun stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded: "In that case, it's best. We don't need to see each other again, and you and my Gao family are even now."

“You must be careful of this stone. It has an extraordinary origin. It was guarded by the Ice King for more than a dozen centuries and helped Him ascend to the status of a demigod. It is no ordinary object and is very dangerous.”

Gao Jun sneered: "Demigod? The demigod is dead, killed by our prince. The war is over, there will be no second Icefield King. Leopard Court is the strongest in the world."

Gao Quan smiled and shook his head: "The mystery of this world is beyond your imagination. If you are loyal, go back quickly and hand this over to the military."

"I will."

Finally, Gao Jun and Gao Quan parted ways. He watched Gao Quan's back as it gradually disappeared into the jungle, and then he turned and left.

He had searched Gao Quan's body and confirmed that he had nothing else on him. The stone in his hand was indeed extraordinary; he could feel the power surging out of it as he held it.

This surprised him greatly; this concentration of power was entirely natural spiritual energy, requiring no strenuous cultivation in the Black Tide world.

As long as he carries it with him, he will probably advance to become a Great Transcendent within three years, or even... the Supreme Master!

This is the progenitor of natural psionic energy, the ultimate evolution of Earth?

Is that why their Leopard Army has spent decades traversing the icy plains and fighting to the death against the ghostly soldiers?

Is this what the prince is looking for...?

As Gao Jun traveled, he struggled internally. He could have chosen not to hand it over, but instead benefited secretly and made himself the strongest.

This temptation left Gao Jun in a dilemma. He was just an ordinary person, and he couldn't resist the olive branch that opportunities for advancement were offering him.

Handing it over would indeed earn merit, and might even make Gao Jun the most respected and influential person among the military officers.

But he understood that only by mastering true strength could he earn the respect of others…

Later, Gao Jun shook his head with a wry smile. He graduated from the No. 1 Military Academy and was deeply cultivated by the Leopard Court, which gave him opportunities and hope. After making meritorious contributions, he was awarded the title of Military Merit and became a high-ranking official.

Why risk something so dangerous?

In Gao Jun's mind, he recalled his elder brother, his parents, and his adorable nephews and nieces...

The faces of my family members keep appearing in my memory.

He still intended to hand it over and was determined not to keep it for himself, but after some hesitation, Gao Jun decided to slow down on his way back.

This inexhaustible power would allow him to grasp the true meaning of natural spiritual energy in a short time, and he was still unwilling to give up this opportunity.

Even if it takes him ten days or so to leisurely return, by then his strength will have greatly improved, and he might even be able to advance and become a superhuman.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!