Douluo Continent: Dragon Shadow Rebirth

As the night faded away, the village regained its tranquility, and the air seemed to still be filled with the aftertaste of the battle that had just ended. Qin Feng and his companions were temporarily relieved after a fierce battle, but the words spoken by the leader in black robes before his death filled everyone's hearts with doubts.

"You have no idea of ​​the true power of 'Gem Heart'... everything has just begun..." These words kept echoing in Qin Feng's mind.

"Hey, let me tell you," Chu Tian rubbed his neck and said, "Why is this gem so mysterious? We've had it for so long, and it can only emit a little light and can be used as a night light. Why do they say it's like a doomsday button?"

Ye Li nodded gently: "That's right, the village chief didn't mention that the gem has such a powerful power before. I suspect that there are more secrets in the village that we don't know."

Zhang Meng didn't have so many thoughts. He stood aside and patted his chest: "No matter what kind of power it is, we will beat back those who dare to cause trouble to us! But to be honest, the black-robed man this time is indeed stronger than the last time, especially those talismans, which almost trapped Chu Tian."

Chu Tian retorted unyieldingly: "I won't be trapped by that kind of gadget, it's just for me to warm up."

"If we don't find out the origin of the gem, they might send a stronger enemy next time." Qin Feng stared at the gem in his hand, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "The village chief must know something."

Without stopping for long, they went straight to the village chief's house, ready to get more clues from him.

The village chief was obviously still in shock from the previous battle. When he heard Qin Feng and others coming, he hurried out of the house and asked in a panic: "Are you...are you okay? Have those black-robed people...been driven away?"

Qin Feng nodded and said, "It has been solved, but there are some questions we must figure out. What exactly is the 'Gem Heart'? Why does it attract these powerful enemies?"

When the village chief heard the words "Gem Heart", his face suddenly turned even paler, as if some secret he didn't want to mention had been revealed. He hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed: "Since things have developed to this point, I can't hide it from you anymore."

The village chief led them into the house, closed the door, sat on a chair with a solemn expression, and said in a low voice: "'Gem Heart' is not an ordinary gem. Its power is far beyond your imagination. According to legend, this gem contains the soul of an ancient soul beast, and the power of this soul beast is enough to destroy the world."

"Destroy the heavens and the earth?" Zhang Meng's eyes widened. "So exaggerated? Then don't we carry a time bomb with us?"

"But then again, why doesn't it show any special power?" Ye Li frowned. "After we got it, we didn't feel any huge energy fluctuations."

The village chief shook his head slowly: "The power of the gem can only be activated under certain conditions. For thousands of years, it has been sealed in the village's guardian, and the gem you accidentally discovered before is actually the core of the seal."

Qin Feng thought for a moment and asked, "In other words, if the seal is broken, the power of the gem will explode?"

"That's right." The village chief nodded solemnly. "These mysterious forces want to seize the gem just to use its power. And the gem in your hands is the key to the entire seal. If they get the heart of the gem, the consequences will be disastrous."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier about this important thing!" Chu Tian spread his hands helplessly, "If we had known this thing was so dangerous, we should have strengthened our protection a long time ago."

"Can you tell me the source of this seal?" Qin Feng continued to ask, feeling that things were far from being that simple.

The village chief sighed and began to tell the origin of the gem: "Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, there was a powerful ancient soul beast on this land. Its power was so strong that even the empire could not stop it. In the end, several top soul masters united and sealed the soul beast at the cost of their spiritual power and lives. The 'Gem Heart' is the core of the seal. After the seal was completed, the gem was handed over to the ancestors of our village to guard it from generation to generation until today."

"So, this ancient soul beast is still sealed somewhere?" Ye Li keenly grasped the key point.

The village chief nodded and said, "Yes, the soul beast's body is sealed in a mountain near the village, and the gem is the key to maintaining the seal. As long as the gem is not taken away, the seal will not be broken."

"That's strange. Why are these mysterious forces coming to grab the gems now?" Chu Tian was puzzled. "What were they doing before?"

The village chief sighed, "I don't know about this either, but I suspect that someone may have found a way to understand the seal, or the power of the seal has gradually weakened over the years, which has attracted their attention."

Qin Feng's eyes became more determined: "No matter what, we can't let these people succeed. The most important thing now is to find the mastermind behind these people and solve this problem completely."

After discussion, they decided to split into two groups: Qin Feng and Chu Tian stayed in the village to guard the Gem Heart, while Zhang Meng and Ye Li went to the nearby mountains to explore the sealed area and confirm whether there was any problem with the seal of the soul beast.

Zhang Meng was very excited: "It's finally my turn to explore the mountains! I've always wanted to see what this legendary ancient soul beast sealed place looks like!"

Ye Li rolled her eyes at him and said, "I hope you won't dig rocks randomly this time. We are going to explore the seal, not to dig for treasure."

"I understand, I understand." Zhang Meng waved his hand, "But if there is a treasure, I can't miss it."

Ye Li smiled helplessly, and set off with Zhang Meng, heading towards the mountains outside the village.

On the other side, Qin Feng and Chu Tian stayed in the village, always on guard against possible enemies.

"What do you think they will do next?" Chu Tian asked while fiddling with the dagger in his hand.

"Now that they know we are on guard, they will not act rashly again." Qin Feng said calmly, "But we can't let our guard down. The enemy may have more tricks up their sleeves."

At this moment, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the village. Qin Feng immediately stood up, clenched the Dragon Shadow Sword in his hand, and motioned Chu Tian to go out with him to take a look.

"Again?" Chu Tian jumped up expectantly, "I thought I wouldn't have a chance to stretch my muscles tonight."

The two quickly came to the entrance of the village and saw a strange figure standing outside the village. He seemed to be a wandering businessman, carrying a large box in his hand and looking around.

"There are actually merchants in the village at this late hour?" Chu Tian muttered, leaning close to Qin Feng and whispering, "Boss, do you think there is something wrong with this guy?"

Qin Feng did not act rashly. He slowly approached the businessman and asked coldly, "What do you do? Why are you coming to the village so late at night?"

The merchant seemed a little surprised to see Qin Feng, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile: "Don't get me wrong, sir. I'm just a merchant passing by. I heard that the village has been in some trouble recently, so I wanted to come and see if there is anything I can help with."

"A passing merchant?" Chu Tian raised his eyebrows, obviously not believing it. "You don't look like one."

The businessman smiled awkwardly and pointed to the box behind him: "I'm not lying, this box is full of goods. If you don't believe me, you can check it."

Qin Feng frowned slightly and slowly approached the box, feeling something was wrong. Just as he was about to open the box, the merchant's eyes suddenly became sharp, and a tiny silver needle in his hand shot silently at Qin Feng.

"Be careful!" Chu Tian was quick-witted and swift, waving his sword to block the silver needle. His eyes instantly turned cold: "There is indeed a problem!"

Qin Feng immediately drew his sword and said coldly: "It seems that you are not an ordinary businessman."

When the businessman realized his whereabouts were exposed, his face instantly turned gloomy. He waved his hand, and the things in the box suddenly exploded, emitting thick smoke.

"It's a trap! Retreat!" Qin Feng roared and quickly retreated with Chu Tian.

The businessman quickly disappeared into the night under the cover of thick smoke.

This sudden confrontation made Qin Feng more alert. It seemed that the mysterious forces had not yet given up, and their next move was likely to be even more dangerous.

Qin Feng stared at the night sky and secretly decided in his heart that no matter what, he would protect the Gem Heart and the peace of the village.