Chapter 265: Soul Stones (Part 2)

“I’m not sure,” Wu Qingsong replied absently, studying the obsidian in his hand.

Back when he first found obsidian stones in the Temple of the God of Death, he hadn’t yet learned to use soul-derived spiritual energy. This meant he couldn’t tell if those black gems had contained any power. But now, as he focused his spiritual energy on one of the obsidian—no, soul stones—he could immediately sense the energy within.

Unlike the chaotic energy in unpurified soul fragments, this energy was calm, pure, and incredibly powerful.

The three soul stones Morin brought were small. The largest was only about the size of a pea. Yet the energy contained within each far surpassed that of any single soul fragment.

Wu Qingsong felt a surge of joy. 

Could he finally break free from the endless, headache-inducing grind of collecting soul fragments?

He had no doubts about the power of soul stones. The ones embedded in the cursed array at the Temple of the God of Death, from who-knows-what source, had kept the array functioning for over a thousand years without anyone tending to it. At the very least, this confirmed that soul stones were highly effective tools for storing energy long-term.

With these soul stones, once the heat from Sentalus’ hunt for the necromancer died down, he could finally resume experimenting and studying The Book of the Dead in a secure, secluded place. This was an enormous advantage for Orgrimmar and their cause against the Elven Empire.

Beside him, Morin looked even more thrilled.

Although he didn’t fully understand the use of the soul stones, Morin’s fate was now closely tied to Wu Qingsong’s. 

At least for now, Wu Qingsong was the heart of the Xuanyuan Church, and Morin was his second-in-command. As the church continued to grow, Morin was confident he would become an even more influential figure.

For a rabbitfolk who not long ago struggled daily just to survive, what more could he ask for?

“How has the preaching been going while I was away?” Wu Qingsong asked.

He finally calmed down as he slipped the three soul stones into his inner pocket.

“All is well,” Morin replied. “But without you here, Alice couldn’t use her powers, so when a few devout followers fell ill, we had to call in a doctor. Two of them have since gone to serve Xuanyuan.”

“Has this affected the faith of the other followers?” Wu Qingsong asked immediately.

“No,” Morin replied quickly. “One of these three soul stones even came from one of those followers. My lord, for rabbitfolk and ratfolk, being left to fend for themselves without any treatment is the norm in this world. The church cared for them and provided good medical attention. They wouldn’t resent that.”

Wu Qingsong shook his head slightly.

Morin wasn’t wrong, but devout followers were a valuable asset, and losing them, for any reason, felt like a waste.

For the thousandth time, he found himself wishing these beastfolk could unlock their potential on their own.

If they could, Xuanyuan Church’s work would become easier, and their strength against the elves would grow significantly. Naturally, his control over them might lessen, but given their mission, he believed it was a manageable risk.

“By the way, besides these wolffolk, I found another group for you,” he told Morin. “Nearly a hundred thousand of them—though they’re a bit far off, in a remote area.”

“Praise Xuanyuan! Praise you, my lord! Distance is no problem, I can leave at once,” Morin responded eagerly.

A hundred thousand followers? Compared to Orgrimmar’s limited population, the choice was clear.

If he could guide these lost sheep onto the right path, perhaps Xuanyuan might grant him a power similar to what Alice had received.

“It might be a while,” Wu Qingsong said, a bit surprised by Morin’s eagerness. 

Was faith really making that big of a difference? When the sealfolk were left on Gale Island, they looked as if they were on death’s door. But Morin’s attitude?

“Though we may need to adjust the church’s teachings a bit,” he added. “This group of a hundred thousand are all birdfolk, mainly penguinfolk, but also harpies and eaglefolk.”

“I see.” 

Morin fell into thought. In the current doctrine, insectfolk, fishfolk, and birdfolk were described as monsters born from the impurities of the world after Xuanyuan split it open. Integrating them into Xuanyuan’s order would be no small task.

After all, beastfolk and elves were fundamentally alike, aside from their inability to reproduce together. But birdfolk, insectfolk, and fishfolk? Morin hadn’t seen them, but legends portrayed them as savage, inhuman creatures that were impossible to communicate with.

“My lord, could you tell me more about them? Any myths or legends involving them might make this much easier.”

“You can ask Ram, Ling, and Liuli to see if they’ve heard any stories from the harpies,” Wu Qingsong said. “For now, focus on Nina’s people. I have high hopes for them. You should be able to find many gifted girls among them.”

“Rest assured,” Morin replied. “There’s still plenty of room in the main portrait of Xuanyuan, and we can reserve a prominent spot for their ancestors.”

The two returned to join Nina and Alice. Morin quickly took over the explanations, guiding Nina through the beliefs with ten times Alice’s enthusiasm.

‘If Red Moon joined the church.’

The thought flashed through Wu Qingsong’s mind.

‘No!’

He immediately stopped himself.

Though the effect might seem similar, persuading someone to believe and using magic to manipulate their thoughts are worlds apart. The former involved genuine effort, a commitment, and allowed others the freedom to choose. The latter was nothing but mind control.

After Nina got a basic understanding of Xuanyuan, it seemed she had a long conversation with Ram, gathering insights from his perspective as a long-standing believer.

The two of them then returned to their clan and held a lengthy discussion with the remaining elders.

Wu Qingsong didn’t know the details of what they talked about.

The Silvermoon Wolf Clan held a pride in their lineage that outsiders could hardly comprehend, so reframing their ancestors as creations of a more powerful deity challenged that pride. Unlike the weaker beastfolk who had lost their homelands, clans, and beliefs to the elves long ago, the Silvermoon wolves would naturally have more difficulty accepting such a view.

And to complicate things further, the preacher was a small rabbitfolk.

Wu Qingsong also worried that they might see this as Orgrimmar’s attempt to pressure them into submission.

In the end, however, the Silvermoon Wolf Clan allowed the Xuanyuan Church in—at least outwardly.

They built a modest temple in the center of their settlement and welcomed Morin and Alice to deliver sermons every five days.

“Prepare yourselves, this might be challenging,” Wu Qingsong advised. “The good news is that Alice can openly use her powers in front of them.”

“Rest assured,” Morin replied confidently. “This will be a valuable experience. Under Xuanyuan’s guidance, we’re bound to succeed.”