The two of them quickly returned to Shrek Academy.
"Brother, why did we suddenly have to rush back like that?" Now that they had returned, Zhu Ziyang finally slowed down, giving Jiang Nannan a chance to ask.
"Because I suspect that the Moonlight Stone you bought might not be a Moonlight Stone at all," Zhu Ziyang replied, saying something that made Jiang Nannan's expression change drastically.
"What?! No way!" she cried out in alarm, her face full of anxiety. "If it's not a Moonlight Stone, then what is it? Don't tell me I got scammed! I paid 150,000 gold soul coins for that!"
"Nannan," Zhu Ziyang gently held her soft hand, calming her down as he spoke, "you weren't scammed. In fact, you might've stumbled upon a treasure."
"Really?" Upon hearing that, Jiang Nannan visibly relaxed. Her reddened eyes gazed up at Zhu Ziyang, her pitiful look completely melting his heart.
"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Zhu Ziyang smiled gently and reached out to stroke her smooth cheek to comfort her.
"You have!" Jiang Nannan pouted. "You said you'd let me pick a thousand-year soul ring, but then…"
"Er…" Zhu Ziyang broke out in a cold sweat, smiling bitterly. "I did that for your own good! With your body back then, you wouldn't have been able to withstand a thousand-year soul ring!"
"Giggle~" Seeing his flustered look, Jiang Nannan burst out laughing through her tears.
"You little brat, how dare you tease me!" Zhu Ziyang grinned and scooped her up, sitting her on his lap as he raised his hand and gave her a light smack.
"Ah~" she let out a soft squeal and immediately pleaded coquettishly, "Good brother, forgive me! I won't do it again!"
"Hmph! I'll let it go this time!" Zhu Ziyang released her with a huff. He never intended to really punish her—he was just playing around.
"Brother, you haven't told me yet—what about that Moonlight Stone?" After their little moment, Jiang Nannan hadn't forgotten the 150,000-gold-soul-coin purchase and asked again.
"Come on, let's go back to the dorm first." Zhu Ziyang didn't answer directly. He grabbed her hand and hurried toward his dormitory. "I need to test something first to confirm it."
"Oh! Okay!" Jiang Nannan followed him obediently.
Back in Zhu Ziyang's dormitory—
"Look," he said, taking out the Moonlight Stone, "a real Moonlight Stone doesn't emit any glow. It should feel icy cold to the touch. But this stone? It gives off a faint glow and even feels slightly warm. Clearly, whoever identified this piece lacked the skill—such a basic distinction and they couldn't even recognize it."
"You're right!" Jiang Nannan lifted the stone and carefully observed it according to his explanation. Sure enough, it matched everything he said. Her face lit up with excitement.
"So if it's not a Moonlight Stone, then what is it, brother?" she asked eagerly.
Zhu Ziyang wore a thoughtful expression. "I'm not certain yet. I need your help."
"Okay!" Jiang Nannan nodded without hesitation. "What do I need to do?"
"It's simple. Just channel your soul power into the stone," he said.
"Got it!" She placed her delicate hand on the stone and infused it with soul power.
As her power entered the stone, a network of fine cracks suddenly spread across its surface. In the next moment, it crumbled into fine silver dust. Under their astonished gaze, that dust turned into scattered motes of light and completely vanished into the air.
"That..." Jiang Nannan stared wide-eyed, baffled. "What was that just now?"
"It was likely condensed moonlight essence," Zhu Ziyang answered, though his eyes were fixated on what remained in her hand. The irregular stone had changed completely, and excitement surged across his face.
"Nannan, you really hit the jackpot!"
"Huh?" Jiang Nannan blinked in confusion, not fully grasping what he meant.
"Guess what this is?" Zhu Ziyang, face brimming with joy, lifted the now transformed stone and asked.
She looked closely. The original goose-egg-sized irregular Moonlight Stone had shrunk to the size of a pigeon egg. Its surface had become smoother, almost pure white and transparent, radiating a glow like that of the full moon. Her eyes lit up in fascination.
"Brother, what is it?" she asked, reaching out to touch it.
Instead of answering, Zhu Ziyang turned off the dorm lights. But even in the absence of artificial light, the room did not fall into darkness—instead, it was bathed in bright, moonlike radiance.
The light came from the stone.
"Yes! This is it!" Zhu Ziyang shouted twice with conviction. He was now absolutely certain of the stone's identity.
"Wow, it's so bright!" Jiang Nannan murmured, her gaze locked onto the glowing gem.
"Hahaha! Of course it is!" Zhu Ziyang laughed, flipping the lights back on and wrapping an arm around her waist in excitement. "Nannan, you're unbelievably lucky!"
She tilted her head, still confused.
"It's called the Moonlight Spirit Crystal," Zhu Ziyang explained.
"Moonlight Spirit Crystal?" She furrowed her brows. "Is that related to the Moonlight Stone?"
"Not at all." Zhu Ziyang shook his head with a smile. "It's a rare immortal-grade treasure. Its value is on par with a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!"
His words were like thunder in her ears. Jiang Nannan was momentarily overwhelmed. She muttered blankly, "A hundred-thousand-year soul bone… a hundred-thousand-year soul bone…"
"Nannan!" Zhu Ziyang called sharply to wake her from her stupor.
"Ah!" She snapped out of it, her beautiful eyes now gleaming. Fixing her gaze on the Moonlight Spirit Crystal, she asked dreamily, "If it's comparable to a hundred-thousand-year soul bone, then how much would it be worth?"
"You silly girl!" Zhu Ziyang sighed, rubbing his forehead. "This is a once-in-a-thousand-years immortal treasure formed from the purest yin essence in the world! And you're wondering how much money it would sell for?!"
"Uh…" She realized how silly she sounded, chuckled awkwardly, and grabbed his hand, pouting playfully. "I was just curious! I wasn't really going to sell it, hehe!"
"You really are something," Zhu Ziyang chuckled fondly, patting her head. "This is fate, you know. This Moonlight Spirit Crystal could very well evolve your martial soul into a top-tier one, maybe even a super martial soul!"
"Really?!" Her eyes sparkled brighter than ever, full of hope and excitement.
"Absolutely!" Zhu Ziyang confirmed. "This is the pinnacle among moon-element treasures. All the effort we've made until now to strengthen your martial soul—from a normal Soft-Boned Rabbit to something greater—this single item might achieve that goal instantly."
"Yay! That's amazing!" Jiang Nannan was overjoyed. Her eyes gleamed as she cheered, "I can't wait to absorb it!"
"You'll have to wait a bit," Zhu Ziyang said, holding her back gently. "A treasure like the Moonlight Spirit Crystal needs very specific conditions to be absorbed. We must wait until the night of the full moon and do it somewhere bathed in direct moonlight. Only then can you fully absorb the yin essence within."
"Aww… really?" Her joy deflated into disappointment. Her excited expression fell.
"Don't worry. The full moon is the day after tomorrow. Just wait a bit longer. Be good," Zhu Ziyang said warmly, coaxing her with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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