"Thank you!"

Xiao Mu reached out and took the Black Jade Pendant, examining it carefully from every angle.

The material of the Black Jade Pendant was just ordinary black jade; it was hollow. At the top of the pendant, there was a tiny hole the size of a Formation Eye, which seemingly had been sealed with wax. Now, the wax seal had been scraped off, exposing the small hole.

A faint, ancient stench of corrosion wafted from the hole.

Xiao Mu nodded silently; by now, he had almost guessed what had happened to He Qingjun.

First, He Qingjun had found this Black Jade Pendant from some place, broken the seal on the small hole, and poured out the ancient blood from within, which stained his body.

The ancient blood in the black jade caused He Qingjun to undergo a Variant, giving him abilities that surpassed ordinary people, but it also led to his mental instability.

Then, the strong corrosive nature of the ancient blood led to He Qingjun's death, and further corroded his Corpse after death.

"Mr. He, could you describe what signs of mental instability Mr. He displayed?"

Unable to find any other clues on the Black Jade Pendant, Xiao Mu held it in hand and turned his gaze toward He Jianchang.

"No problem, Mr. Xiao," He Jianchang consented, his expression dim and sorrowful. "After my dad became mentally unstable, he got all mixed up. He didn't recognize any of us as if he was possessed. But his body also underwent a Variant, extraordinarily strong, and he mindlessly wrecked our home."

"The destruction didn't last too long, at most just about ten seconds, then my dad suddenly let out a scream, collapsed on the ground, and never got up again."

Became possessed, mind in chaos, recognizing no one, only knowing destruction, lasting for about ten seconds?

Xiao Mu thought about the scenario but regretfully found no further clues.

In the end, he shook his head in resignation.

It seemed that He Qingjun's death was simply due to the Black Jade Pendant, nothing more.

Yet, what puzzled him was the origin of the ancient blood inside the Black Jade Pendant—whose blood was it and how did it get there?

Taking out the Black Jade Pendant again, he politely asked He Jianchang, "Mr. He, could I have this Black Jade Pendant? I suspect there are unknown special factors behind Mr. He's death, and I'd like to take the pendant back for thorough research."

"If Mr. Xiao would like it, please feel free to take it," He Jianchang immediately responded, without any hesitation.

Xiao Mu thanked He Jianchang and casually took out five ordinary Energy Fruits as a token of gratitude, which he gave to He Jianchang in return.

He Jianchang was somewhat flustered and, after thanking him repeatedly, he joyfully accepted the Energy Fruits.

Afterward, Xiao Mu left the He Family. He did not take a car but used the Earth Escape Technique to return to the construction site of the Divine Monarch Wu De's Temple.

The craftsman, Yuan Wei, whom Zhu Bingshen found to replace He Qingjun in Sculpting the Image for Divine Monarch Wu De, was also skilled. Having conveyed his ideas to Divine Monarch Wu De, the Divine Monarch was quite satisfied.

After discussing some details related to the construction and Sculpting of the temple, Xiao Mu then returned to the Great Tang Ruins with the Black Jade Plate that sealed Divine Monarch Wu De.

On the way, Xiao Mu brought up the matter related to the Black Jade Pendant, focusing particularly on the ancient blood within it.

Knowing little about this ancient blood and unable to find any leads, he consulted Divine Monarch Wu De.

After all, Divine Monarch Wu De was a figure from tens of thousands of years ago, with rich experiences—he might know something.

However, Divine Monarch Wu De's response left Xiao Mu disappointed; he was unclear about the Black Jade Pendant and the ancient blood within, nor could he guess whose it was or the purpose behind it.

With disappointment, Xiao Mu put away the Black Jade Pendant and soon shifted his focus to his next plan.

Next, he planned to go to the ancient Song Ruins to slay the Undying Evil Ancestor.

But before that, Xiao Mu intended to cultivate the three Secret Manuals promised by the Great Chief Wu Jie.

The Secret Manual that Xiao Mu most hoped to cultivate, in fact, was one that would enhance the authority of Divine Spirits, but such a manual clearly did not exist.

Therefore, Xiao Mu had to turn his attention to other Secret Manuals.

There were three kinds of Secret Manuals he could cultivate: one related to the Power of the Five Elements, one related to the Yin Yang Power, and another related to the Power of Life and Death.

Currently, Xiao Mu had already cultivated the Five Elements abilities, including the Taiyi Divine Body and the Five Elements Power, one being a body-refining technique and the other an offensive technique; he had also cultivated the Yin-Yang Technique, which included the Taiyi True Body and the Yin-Yang Divine Light, also encompassing both body-refining and offensive techniques.

The only Divine Techniques he had not cultivated fell under the Life and Death Category.

Xiao Mu decided to practice them.

The primary choice targeted the Life and Death Sect: the Sect's two major Divine Techniques, Burying and Divine Burial Technique, either of which could bury an enemy in another world.

Once someone with a lesser strength encountered an opponent from the Life and Death Sect and faced either the Burying or Divine Burial Technique, there would be virtually no chance to fight back, easily resulting in being killed.

It could be said that the Divine Techniques of the Life and Death Sect held an overwhelming advantage when facing opponents of lesser strength.

Neither the Taiyi Divine Body nor the Five Elements Power could shield one from the direct threat to life and death posed by the Life and Death Sect's Divine Techniques.

While Xiao Mu was not afraid of the Undying Evil Ancestor, should he encounter a stronger adversary from the Life and Death Sect, he would similarly face extreme peril.

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