The major powers of the Northern and Southern Spiritual Regions all dispatched their people to investigate the matter of the Soulstone. Thanks to the existence of Lianyingtang, exchanging and sharing the information they gathered became much easier.
The reason they didn't consolidate their forces within Lianyingtang for a joint investigation was that doing so might actually hinder progress. Rather than gathering everyone in one place and having to coordinate and formulate a unified plan, it was more efficient for each sect to operate independently, following their own practices and strategies. They would then periodically share their findings and compile the information, thus avoiding unnecessary conflicts and wasting time on redundant efforts.
Given the high level of danger associated with investigating the Soulstone, the sects naturally didn't send Qi Refining stage disciples for the task. At most, these disciples would be assigned supporting roles. This situation highlighted the importance of having a large number of disciples. Despite the fact that each sect had deployed numerous members to track down the Soulstone, the Talisman Master Tournament continued without interruption, and the personnel involved in the tournament were left untouched.
However, this did not mean that the sect members involved in the tournament were unaware of the ongoing events. The fact that the Wu family had been exterminated indicated that the mastermind behind the Soulstone had already realized that their secret was out. It was obvious that the major sects would begin their investigations, so there was no need to keep this information hidden. On the contrary, informing the disciples would heighten their vigilance and possibly help them recognize any relevant clues they might encounter.
As long as the investigation's progress was kept confidential, there was no harm in spreading the news. With the major sects making no attempt to conceal the matter and even encouraging the spread of this information, it wasn't long before nearly half of Panshang City knew about it.
Many were completely unfamiliar with the concept of the Soulstone. However, seeing the actions of the leading sects, spearheaded by Fuzong, they understood that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Nevertheless, there were still some who, lacking organization or connections, remained clueless despite sensing a change in the city's atmosphere over the past few days.
Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu were among those still in the dark. Other than Liu Chun and Yuan Qing, they didn't know anyone in the city. In the past two days, Yuan Qing had been leaving early and returning late, occupied with something unknown. Whenever Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu went out to watch the Talisman Master Tournament, they would occasionally overhear snippets of conversation:
"Hey, have you heard about that thing?" one person would ask another, with a suggestive tone.
Then they would begin exchanging looks or using voice transmission to discuss it, leaving Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu—who were trying to eavesdrop on some juicy gossip—utterly disappointed.
It wasn't until tonight, on the eve of the tournament's transition from 2,500 to 500 participants, that Yuan Qing returned to their shared cave dwelling earlier than usual.
Because Liu Chun had been doing relatively well in the tournament, Lin Xiao had reluctantly spent a few hundred spirit stones to extend their stay by another twenty days. Upon his return, Yuan Qing, seeing both Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu present, quickly poured himself a cup of tea, downed it in one gulp, and then asked them:
"Have you two heard about the big news lately?"
Hearing this, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu immediately thought of the various vague and unfinished conversations they had overheard recently. Lin Xiao responded:
"We've noticed that the atmosphere in the city has been a bit strange lately, but we're not sure why. Is it related to this… big news?"
Yuan Qing had returned specifically to see if they were aware of the situation. If they weren't, he intended to inform them to prevent any potential danger. Without beating around the bush, he immediately explained:
"I've heard that the Soulstone, which wreaked havoc on our world ten thousand years ago, has reappeared!"
"The Soulstone is said to be capable of erasing spiritual energy. It's rumored that over ten thousand years ago, many prominent figures in the cultivation world worked together to seal its source, but for some reason, it has resurfaced after all this time. Currently, the major sects of the Northern and Southern Spiritual Regions are joining forces to investigate."
Lin Xiao was taken aback by this revelation. The Soulstone? He had a few pieces of that in his private stash. It seemed he needed to be very careful about using it in the future. If the cultivators of this world mistook him for one of those behind the Soulstone's resurgence, it could spell big trouble.
Jiang Youfu, upon hearing the term "Soulstone," found it somewhat familiar, but couldn't immediately recall where he had heard it before. Previously, when Lin Xiao and the others had returned to the sect, they had briefly mentioned it, but without going into detail, so it was understandable that Jiang Youfu couldn't remember right away.
After a moment of thought, and upon recalling Yuan Qing's description of the Soulstone's ability to erase spiritual energy, Jiang Youfu suddenly remembered the time when Lin Xiao had mentioned it during their story of rescuing the villagers. That was the same thing, wasn't it?
Understanding this, Jiang Youfu glanced at Lin Xiao, who remained silent, so he also kept his mouth shut.
Yuan Qing didn't notice anything amiss and continued:
"You two need to be extra careful. This thing is said to be extremely dangerous. Back in the day, when it was rampant, it caused untold suffering and devastation across the world."
Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu both nodded obediently, assuring Yuan Qing that they would be vigilant and that they would leave for home immediately after the Talisman Master Tournament concluded.
These updates had come from Yuan Qing's former sect mates, who had kept him informed. Yuan Qing added:
"Many sects have records of the Soulstone in their libraries, or it has been passed down through oral traditions. If your families have any ancient books, you might want to check them out—you might find some related information."
Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu couldn't help but think of their sect's tiny library corner, which held only a few dozen cultivation manuals and techniques tucked away in a corner of the training hall.
A library… Shouldn't they consider building one? It wouldn't hurt to have a broader collection of books, not to mention it could help them better understand the history and developments of the cultivation world.
With this in mind, Lin Xiao asked Yuan Qing:
"Yuan Daoyou, is there a place in Panshang City where books are sold? Or in Yuanling City, perhaps, a place where we could find a good selection of records or related texts?"
Yuan Qing, slightly surprised by the sudden inquiry, paused before nodding:
"If you want to go, I can take you."
"No need, no need," Lin Xiao quickly declined. "We're familiar with Panshang City by now. Just tell us the locations, and we'll go on our own. You don't need to trouble yourself."
After all, purchasing books for the sect wasn't something Lin Xiao wanted to do in front of Yuan Qing.