Chapter 628: Revival of the Ancient Mysterious Vessel

"The Primordial Seal of Life and Death... a Profound Sky Supreme Treasure?" Yun Che's expression immediately froze.

"Among the Seven Profound Sky Supreme Treasures, the Primordial Seal of Life and Death ranks only behind the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword and the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations," Jasmine explained unhurriedly. "Legend has it that it was born at the very heart of the Primordial Universe, its essence intimately connected to it. As long as the Primordial Universe endures, the Seal will remain eternally indestructible!"

"What exactly is this 'eternal' power you mentioned?"

"If worn, one's lifespan will never diminish. In other words... whoever possesses it will have an endless life!"

"...Huh?" Yun Che was utterly dumbfounded, feeling as if he were listening to a baseless myth. "An endless lifespan... never dying? How is that possible!"

"You're overthinking it!" Jasmine scoffed. "Endless longevity doesn't mean true immortality! While wearing the Primordial Seal of Life and Death prevents death by old age, one can still be killed by external forces! However, if someone possesses invincible power, such that no other being or natural force can destroy them, and then obtains the Primordial Seal of Life and Death, they would indeed become truly immortal and indestructible!"

"If the Primordial Seal of Life and Death could be obtained and worn by the Little Demon Empress, then as long as she isn't killed by external forces, she could live for as long as she desired! She wouldn't just be immune to death by old age; she would never even age!"

"The Primordial Seal of Life and Death is also the only 'eternal life' artifact in the entire Primordial Space! In ancient times, even True Gods clamored for it. Though their lifespans were vast, they weren't infinite, and the more powerful a god was, the more desperately they craved it."

"Eternal longevity—this is a temptation no living being could resist! That's why it rightfully holds the third position among the Profound Sky Supreme Treasures!"

Yun Che listened in silence, not speaking for a long time. Every Profound Sky Supreme Treasure possessed heaven-defying abilities. The Heaven Poison Pearl boasted incredible powers of detoxification, refinement, and purification; the Samsara Mirror, the astonishing ability to traverse cycles of reincarnation... And now, this Profound Sky Supreme Treasure Jasmine described possessed a truly mythical "eternal"—in other words, "eternal life" power!

Eternal longevity, perpetual life...

However, this object sounded too ethereal, so illusory that Yun Che could barely even conceive of or describe its existence.

"So, this Primordial Seal of Life and Death... do you know its whereabouts?" Yun Che asked in a low voice.

"What do you think?" Jasmine retorted, her three short words dripping with disdain for Yun Che's foolish question. "Let me tell you. Among the Seven Profound Sky Supreme Treasures, the fourth-ranked Heavenly God Pearl, the fifth-ranked Heaven Poison Pearl, the sixth-ranked Cosmos Piercer, and the seventh-ranked Samsara Mirror have all appeared multiple times throughout history, igniting countless struggles for possession. Of these, the Heavenly God Pearl was acquired long ago and became the exclusive treasure of a powerful star realm. However, the top three—the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword, the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, and the Primordial Seal of Life and Death—completely vanished after the gods perished and have never reappeared! Countless individuals have desperately searched for them, yet not a single trace has ever been found."

"Furthermore, given the 'eternal' power of the Primordial Seal of Life and Death, even if it were found, its possessor would never reveal its existence. Otherwise, an endless stream of peerless experts would relentlessly pursue it. Since it only needs to be worn and not actively used, its presence is incredibly easy to conceal. Thus, it's entirely possible it has already been discovered."

"What? Are you going to try searching for it?" Jasmine's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Yun Che's brow twitched slightly. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "I refuse to believe there's no other way!"

"I possess the medical skills my master taught me, the power of the Desolate God, the blood of the Dragon God, and the Heaven Poison Pearl... I refuse to believe I can't save the Little Demon Empress!"

As Yun Che spoke, he raised his left hand, and the image of the Heaven Poison Pearl materialized in his palm. He reached out to touch the pearl, but his expression suddenly froze, then contorted in shock. He practically leaped up. "Where's my Nine Suns Jade? Where did it go? How did the Nine Suns Jade disappear?!"

Items placed within the Heaven Poison Pearl should never be lost. Yet the Nine Suns Jade, a gift from the Golden Crow soul spirit that he had stored inside, was now gone without a trace!

"Idiot, you're only just realizing this now? Have you forgotten how your Purple Vein Heavenly Crystal and Purple Jade Marrow disappeared back then?" Jasmine snapped impatiently.

Yun Che's eyes widened, his face turning pale with fury. His head felt like it had swollen, and he roared, "Hong'er... get out here now!"

A flash of red light appeared before Yun Che, and Hong'er floated lightly into view. She seemed half-asleep, as if just roused from a slumber, rubbing her hazy eyes with her small hands, her voice still thick with drowsiness. "Master, why did you suddenly call me out? You woke me up from my nap."

Hong'er's half-open eyes, a quarter sleepy, a quarter confused, and a quarter innocent, combined with her adorable small face, effectively stifled Yun Che's surging anger. He twitched his lips, his voice trembling as he asked, "You... you... you ate the Nine Suns Jade?"

"Hmm? Nine Suns Jade? What's that? Is it delicious?" Hong'er blinked her vermillion eyes.

"It's that golden-yellow... stone, about this big!" Yun Che grimaced, gesturing with gritted teeth.

"Oh... Ooh!!" Hong'er's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly became excited, her sleepiness instantly vanishing. "So that's what it was! When Master sent it over, I ate it right away! It was so, so delicious... even better than that 'Nong Que'! I haven't thanked Master for giving me such a delicious treat yet. Thank you, Master, teehee."

"Right when it was sent over..." Meaning two months ago, the very day the Golden Crow gave him the Nine Suns Jade, she had eaten it!

Wait! Who the hell said that was for you to eat?! "Thank you," my foot!

"You... you really ate all of it? And while you were eating it... you didn't feel unwell... or anything strange?" Yun Che's voice trembled even more. The Nine Suns Jade—a divine object that, according to Jasmine, could unleash enough power to obliterate the entire Illusory Demon Realm! When he first held it, his hands and heart had trembled. And Hong'er... she actually ate it... ate it!

"Huh? Unwell? Why would I be unwell?" Hong'er tilted her head, looking utterly confused. Then she suddenly brightened. "Oh, right! After eating that thing called... um, that Nine Suns Jade, my body suddenly felt wonderfully comfortable, and I felt incredibly sleepy. What's even stranger is that for a very long time afterward, I didn't feel hungry at all. Master, Master, do you have any more of that delicious Nine Suns Jade? I want more!"

"Unbelievable..." Jasmine was merely monstrous in her profound strength. But this Hong'er... every single part of her was monstrous! Her very existence was inherently abnormal!

And she wants more? Unbelievable!

Do you think the Nine Suns Jade is candy?!

"Hmph, high-grade swords and profound jade are all Hong'er's food. The former can be converted into her spiritual energy, while the latter transforms into the profound energy of the Primordial Profound Ark. You threw the Nine Suns Jade into the Heaven Poison Pearl yourself; that's no different from putting it right into her mouth. Who can you blame but yourself?"

Yun Che was speechless... How could he have ever imagined Hong'er could eat even that!

"However, the Nine Suns Jade's most significant use for you right now is to activate the Primordial Profound Ark. It was always meant for Hong'er to consume, as this is the only way to infuse profound energy into the Ark."

Jasmine slowly materialized beside him. She and Hong'er stood together, one with eerie, blood-red hair, the other with light, vermilion hair. "Summon the Primordial Profound Ark," Jasmine instructed. "With the Nine Suns Jade's profound energy, it should have undergone a significant transformation."

Following the instruction, Yun Che extended his palm, and with his mental command, the Primordial Profound Ark—which had been stored within the Heaven Poison Pearl for so long—materialized in his palm. Its exterior was no longer the dull, dark red it once was, but a vibrant vermilion, exactly like Hong'er's hair and eyes. Simultaneously, a mysterious and profound aura emanated from its hull.

"This is..." Yun Che was momentarily stunned. Then, he sensed an incredibly clear soul connection emanating from the Primordial Profound Ark. He tried to focus his mind, attempting to manipulate it with his thoughts...

Instantly, the Primordial Profound Ark floated into the air, swiftly moving to the position his thoughts indicated. It then rapidly expanded to his desired size before quickly shrinking back into his palm.

Yun Che moved his thoughts again, and he instantly vanished. Even Hong'er and Jasmine, standing before him, vanished along with him. Only the Primordial Profound Ark remained, quietly floating in its original spot.

As Yun Che issued the mental command to enter the Primordial Profound Ark, the world before his eyes rapidly shifted. In the blink of an eye, he found himself inside a colossal stone hall. Endless stone walls stretched around him, an impossibly high ceiling loomed above, and beneath his feet was a tall, circular stone platform. At the far end of the platform, a narrow passage, barely wide enough for one person, led onward.

This was clearly the colossal ancient fortress he had entered previously while inside the Primordial Profound Ark. The very spot beneath his feet was where he had rescued Hong'er.

Yun Che paused for a moment, then slightly shifted his focus. Instantly, the outside world—the scenery surrounding the Primordial Profound Ark's location—appeared with perfect clarity in his mind. He shifted his thoughts again, and these mental images immediately transformed into tangible visuals, spreading out before his eyes.

"Truly a divine artifact from the ancient era; it is indeed extraordinary." Jasmine appeared by his side, surveying their surroundings, and even a hint of surprise graced her small face.

"This is too... extraordinary!" Yun Che gasped. He tested each of the suddenly available soul connections, and all of them responded perfectly. He could freely control the Primordial Profound Ark's movement, alter its size at will, enter and exit telepathically at any moment, and even clearly perceive the outside world while inside the Ark.

Yun Che had certainly seen profound arks before... but he had never even heard of one as miraculous as this!

Moreover, within the soul connection, "spatial teleportation" was clearly accessible. This meant that if Yun Che merely willed the Ark to "teleport three thousand li to the east," it would instantly tear through space with him, reappearing three thousand li further east!

All in an instant!

Yet, the most strikingly clear detail within the soul connection was this: he only possessed secondary control over the Primordial Profound Ark! In other words, for this incredibly extraordinary Ark, which could almost rival a Profound Sky Supreme Treasure, he was merely the second master.

And the primary control, astonishingly, rested with Hong'er!

This meant that if Yun Che and Hong'er simultaneously issued commands to the Primordial Profound Ark—for instance, if Hong'er wanted it to go east, and Yun Che wanted it to go west—the Ark would simply disregard Yun Che's order and obediently proceed east.

Or, for example, if Hong'er were to get angry one day and tell Yun Che to get out of the Primordial Profound Ark, Yun Che would have no choice but to obediently comply. Conversely, if Yun Che wanted to throw Hong'er out of the Primordial Profound Ark... that would be utterly impossible.

The conclusion was clear: although the Primordial Profound Ark had revived under the potent profound energy of the Nine Suns Jade, if Yun Che wished to use it comfortably, he would first have to appease and cater to Hong'er, this veritable "grand boss."

And if he wanted to comfortably wield the Heaven Smiting Devil Slaying Sword, he would similarly need to appease and cater to Hong'er, this "grand boss."

In short... of these two girls he "carried everywhere," Jasmine served as both his master and his diligent guide, while Hong'er... was a supreme "grand boss" who had to do absolutely nothing but be doted upon and served!